Reformatted coronal display of upper abdominal computed tomography: comparison with ultrasonography.

The coronal plane is the most common format used for descriptions of the radiographic and surgical anatomy of the upper abdomen. Coronal reformatted computed tomographic (CT) studies of the upper abdomen were compared to coronal ultrasonic images of equivalent cephalocaudad dimension obtained with a water path echoscope. In most cases, the reformatted CT images were equivalent or superior in the display of selected mass lesions and their anatomic relationships. Direct coronal CT studies should be useful in the evaluation of upper abdominal pathology.