Abstract
Background: Ultrasonography (US) shows promise in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
Methods: The authors present their own experience in ultrasonography (US) employed in the diagnosis of appendicitis, based on 40 patients admitted to the Department of Surgery of the University of Perugia.
Results: US was found to be easily obtainable and reliable; it had good specificity and sensitivity, was not very time consuming, and had a good cost/benefit ratio.
Conclusions: The authors believe US is an important diagnostic tool that can reduce useless laparotomies for false acute appendicitis, particularly in cases presenting with unclear clinical findings.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bolton JP, Craven ER (1980) Assessment of the value of the white cell count in the management of suspected acute appendicitis. Acta Chir Scand 146: 55–63
Borushok KF, Jeffrey RB Jr, Laing FC, Townsend RR (1990) Sonographic diagnosis of perforation in patients with acute appendicitis. AJR Am J Roentgenol 154: 275–278
Bowie JD (1977) Ultrasound of gynecologic pelvic masses: the indefinite uterus and other patterns associated with diagnostic error. J Clin Ultrasound 5: 323–328
Fa EM, Cronan JJ (1989) Compression ultrasonography as an aid in the differential diagnosis of appendicitis. Surg Gynecol Obstet 169: 290–298
Fee HJ Jr, Jones P, Kadell B (1977) Radiologic diagnosis of appendicitis. Arch Surg 112: 742–744
Fleischer AC, James AE, Millis JB, Julian C (1978) Differential diagnosis of pelvic masses by gray scale sonography. AJR Am J Roentgenol 131: 469–476
Kang WM, Lee CH, Chou YH, Lin HJ, Lo HC, Hu SC, P'eng FK (1989) A clinical evaluation of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Surgery 105: 154–159
Karstrup BS, Torp-Pedersen S, Roikjaer O (1986) Ultrasonic visualisation of the inflamed appendix. Br J Radiol 59: 985–986
Lawson TL, Albarelli JN (1977) Diagnosis of gynecologic pelvic masses by gray scale ultrasonography: analysis of specificity and accuracy. AJR Am J Roentgenol 128: 1003–1006
Marchildon MB, Dudgeon DL (1977) Perforated appendicitis: current experience in a children's hospital. Ann Surg 185: 84–87
Monzer M, Bleicher J (1987) High resolution of acute appendicitis. AJR Am J Roentgenol 149: 53–58
Owens BJ, Hamit HF (1978) Appendicitis in the elderly. Ann Surg 187: 392–396
Puylaert JBCM (1986) Acute appendicitis: US evaluation using graded compression. Radiology 158: 355–360
Puylaert JBCM, Rutgers PH, Lalisang RI, et al. (1987) A prospective study of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of appendicitis. N Engl J Med 317: 666–669
Quillin SP, Siegel MJ (1994) Appendicitis: efficacy of color Doppler sonography. Radiology 191: 557–560
Scher KS, Coi TA (1980) The continuing challenge of perforating appendicitis. Surg Gynecol Obstet 150: 535–538
Schwartz SI (1987) Tempering the technological diagnosis of appendicitis. N Engl J Med 317: 703–704
Walsh JW, Taylor KJW, Wasson JFM, Schwartz PE, Rosenfield AT (1979) Gray-scale ultrasound in 204 proved gynecologic masses: accuracy and specific diagnostic criteria. Radiology 130: 391–397
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rossi, P., Covarelli, P., Mosci, F. et al. Ultrasonography in the management of acute appendicitis. Surg Endosc 10, 619–621 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00188513
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00188513