Significance of inflatable rectal CT in the diagnosis and clinical staging of rectal cancer LI Wei, LIU Ke-sheng，CUI Gen. Department of General Surgery, Jiaonan Economic and Technological Development Zone Hospital,Jiaonan 266400,China Corresponding author: LI Wei， E-mail: Liwei_750518@163.com Abstract Objective To evaluate the significance of inflatable rectal CT in the diagnosis and clinical staging of rectal cancer．Methods Inflatable rectal CT of 54 cases of rectal cancer confirmed by surgery pathology between May 207 and July 2009 at Jiaonan Economic and Technological Development Zone Hospital were investigated retrospectively. It evaluated the significance of inflatable rectal CT in the diagnosis and clinical staging of rectal cancer．Results Full expansion of the rectum and sigmoid colon, rectum wrapping around the fat density of the structure of the intestinal wall and the relatively high density and very low density contrast mesocaval were showed clearly in patients with the inflatable rectal CT. The overall accuracy rate of rectal cancer TNM staging was 85.2%（46/54）. The accuracy of T, N and M was 90.7%(49/54）, 87.0% (47/54)and 98.1%(53/54) respectively. Conclusion Inflatable rectal CT can show the size, shape, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, the relationship with the surrounding organs and distant metastasis clearly. Imaging features of the mesorectum were clear. Inflatable rectal CT had a higher consistency with TNM staging.It was an important method for the preoperative diagnosis and clinical staging of rectal cancer.