Small Bowel CT Appearances

ACE Inhibitor-Induced Angioedema CT Findings

• Ascites almost always present
• Circumferential wall thickening
• Mural stratification
• Straightening of bowel loops
• Interloop/mesenteric edema
• Typically involves the jejunum

Other Information About ACE Inhibitor-Induced Angioedema

Etiology:

• Caused by ACE inhibitors
• Risk increases if patient is on immunosuppressant medication, aspirin, or NSAIDs
• Smoking increases risk

Epidemiology:

• More common in females
• Much more common in patients of African descent
• Typically presents after age 65

Presentation:

• Swelling of the face, tongue, and/or lips
• May be asymmetric
• Severe cases may have swelling of the airways which results in asphyxiation
• Typically presents several weeks or month after ACE-I treatment

Prognosis:

• Patients with ACE-inhibitor-induced angioedema will stop taking the medication
• Patients with difficulty breathing must be treated

Related Pearls: Inflammatory Disease

Related Lectures:
CT of the Small Bowel: Complications of Therapy and How They Mimic Pathology - Part 1
CT of the Acute Abdomen: GI Applications - Part 3
CT of the Small Bowel: Inflammatory Disease - Part 2