Fat-density oral contrast agent for abdominal CT.

To overcome the problem of inadequate mixing of gastrointestinal (GI) tract contents with conventional high-density oral contrast agents in abdominal computed tomography (CT), a flavored 12.5% corn oil emulsion (COE) was tested as an oral contrast agent in 62 patients. The results were compared with those obtained from 105 patients who received high-density oral contrast agents. A simple patient preparation regimen for the COE was developed, which appears to be reasonably well tolerated by the patients and yields diagnostic studies comparable to those obtained with conventional agents. Use of the COE resulted in consistent discrimination of the GI tract and depiction of the GI wall. Preliminary data suggest that it may be particularly useful for CT evaluation of the stomach, duodenum, and pancreas; in patients suspected of having solid tumors; and in thin people.