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Imaging of Acute Appendicitis in Adults: Ultrasonography

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Imaging of Acute Appendicitis in Adults and Children

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Diagn Imaging))

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Abstract

Although ultrasound has been used diagnostically in patients with right lower quadrant pain and possible appendicitis since the 1980s, there has recently been renewed interest in this technique due to increasing concerns over radiation exposure with abdominal CT. Although overall slightly less accurate than CT for the diagnosis of appendicitis, ultrasonography has several distinct advantages, such as lack of ionizing radiation or intravenous contrast and low cost. Keys to success for this technique include a thorough understanding of the graded-compression technique using both grayscale and color-Doppler sonography. In addition, the concept of “staging of appendicitis” is presented, since different treatment options may be selected for patients who have gangrenous or perforated appendicitis, rather than the standard laparoscopic appendectomy for early uncomplicated appendicitis. Finally, alternative diagnoses of the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract that clinically mimic appendicitis are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, H1307, Stanford, CA, 94305-5105, USA

    R. Brooke Jeffrey

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  1. R. Brooke Jeffrey
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Correspondence to R. Brooke Jeffrey .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Radiology, Hôpital Erasme, Route de Lennik 808, Brussels, 1070, Belgium

    Caroline KEYZER

  2. Hôspital Erasme, Department of Radiology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, Brussels, 1070, Belgium

    Pierre Alain Gevenois

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Brooke Jeffrey, R. (2012). Imaging of Acute Appendicitis in Adults: Ultrasonography. In: KEYZER, C., Gevenois, P. (eds) Imaging of Acute Appendicitis in Adults and Children. Medical Radiology(). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2011_223

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2011_223

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-17871-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-17872-6

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