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Suspected appendicitis in children: US and CT--a prospective randomized study.
Sylvie Kaiser1, Björn Frenckner, Hakan K Jorulf
1Department of Pediatric Radiology, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska Institute, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. sylvie.kaser@ks.se
Radiology
|May 30, 2002
Summary
Ultrasonography (US) is effective for diagnosing childhood appendicitis. Adding abdominal computed tomography (CT) to US further improves diagnostic accuracy, reducing unnecessary surgeries without increasing perforation rates.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Radiology
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Appendicitis is a common surgical emergency in children.
- Accurate diagnosis is crucial to avoid negative appendectomies and perforation.
- Imaging modalities play a key role in diagnosing pediatric appendicitis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography (US) alone versus US combined with abdominal computed tomography (CT) for childhood appendicitis.
- To evaluate the impact of adding CT to US on negative appendectomy and perforation rates.
Main Methods:
- A prospective randomized study involving 600 children with suspected appendicitis.
- Patients were assigned to US only or US plus abdominal CT groups.
- Radiologic findings were correlated with surgical and histopathologic outcomes.
Main Results:
- US alone showed 86% sensitivity and 95% specificity.
- The combination of US and CT achieved 99% sensitivity and 89% specificity.
- Adding CT improved overall diagnostic accuracy to 93% and reduced the negative appendectomy rate to 3.7%.
Conclusions:
- Ultrasonography is a valuable tool for diagnosing appendicitis in children.
- In cases where US is inconclusive, abdominal CT significantly enhances diagnostic accuracy.
- The combined approach decreases negative appendectomy rates without increasing perforation risks.