Diagnostic usefulness of CT angiography for preoperative study of the ano-rectal carcinoma

From April 1981 to August 1985, routine CT (r-CT) was performed in 71 cases, CT-angiography (CTA) in 26 cases and selective angiography (SAG) in 79 cases of ano-rectal cancer. Both r-CT and CTA were useful for preoperative diagnosis of circumferential extension of the tumor. Diagnostic accuracy for the deth of invasion of the cancer was higher by CTA than by r-CT or SAG, especially in lower rectum and anus. Further studies are necessary to establish a more accurate method which is capable to demonstrate the histological characteristics by this examination. (author)