Acute abdomen in AIDS: CT diagnosis and triage.

Computed tomographic (CT) scans of 80 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and acute abdominal pain were reviewed for the purpose of highlighting the use of CT in diagnosis and triage. Common and uncommon causes of acute abdominal pain in patients with AIDS are discussed and their CT findings illustrated. Clinical case histories demonstrate how CT can be used to quickly narrow diagnostic possibilities to perform triage between surgical and nonsurgical management and to further direct diagnostic workup.