Causes of error in gastrointestinal radiology. II. Barium enema examination.

A study of causes of error on barium enema examinations is reported. There were 144 patients with 189 inflammatory and neoplastic lesions of the large bowel examined endoscopically and with a preceding barium enema. Twelve lesions were not reported radiologically, a false negative error rate of 6.3%. Radiographic errors included 11 polyps and 1 sigmoid carcinoma. Causes for these errors were analyzed and classified into perceptive, technical, or combined categories. Ten lesions were visible in retrospect. Five lesions, clearly visible but not noted, were due to perceptive error. Five other lesions, poorly visible due to faulty studies, represented combined error. Two lesions could not be identified and represented purely technical failure. All unreported lesions were distal to the splenic flexure with the majority located in the sigmoid colon.