[Follow-up computer tomography in patients with carcinoma of the rectum (author's transl)].

Conventional X-ray examination, ultrasonography, and skeletal scintigraphy are insufficient diagnostic procedures in the follow-up of many cases after surgery of rectum carcinoma, since they do not allow early diagnosis of local relapses. A report is given, which shows, that in these cases computer tomography may help in diagnosis. Recurrent tumors of 1.5-2 cm diameter may be diagnosed by computer tomography with sufficient reliability; at the same time peritumorous tissue can be looked at and infiltrative growth as well as regional lymph node enlargement may be diagnosed. This will help the surgeon to decide about a second surgical intervention, or it may help the radiologist in localizing and estimating the volume of tumor relapse, which can be of value for X-ray therapy. Thus computer tomography does have its place without doubt in the follow-up of patients after resection of the rectum.