UPDATE Gastrointestinal tract perforation: CT diagnosis

Gastrointestinal tract perforation is an emergent condi-tion that requires prompt surgery. Diagnosis largely de-pends on imaging examinations, and correct diagnosis of the presence, level, and cause of perforation is essential for appropriate management and surgical planning. Plain radiography remains the first imaging study and may be followed by intraluminal contrast examination; however, the high clinical efficacy of computed tomo-graphic examination in this field has been well recog-nized. The advent of spiral and multidetector-row computed tomographic scanners has enabled examina-tion of the entire abdomen in a single breath-hold by using thin-slice sections that allow precise assessment of pathology in the alimentary tract. Extraluminal air tha