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Sonography of the acute abdomen in the pediatric patient

Diane S Babcock1

  • 1Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Ohio 45229-3039, USA.

Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine : Official Journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
|August 8, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric abdominal pain is diagnosed using ultrasound, a valuable imaging tool. This review covers causes and sonographic findings in children with acute abdominal conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Radiology
  • Diagnostic Imaging
  • Abdominal Sonography

Background:

  • Acute abdominal pain is a common presentation in pediatric patients.
  • Accurate diagnosis is crucial for timely and appropriate management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the causes and sonographic appearance of pathologic processes causing abdominal pain in pediatric patients.
  • To understand the utility and limitations of abdominal sonography in evaluating the acute pediatric abdomen.

Main Methods:

  • A pictorial review of clinical cases.
  • Utilizing sonography with color and pulsed Doppler imaging.

Main Results:

  • Sonography is a valuable tool for evaluating the acute abdomen in pediatric patients.
  • The study reviews the application of sonography in this context.

Conclusions:

  • Causes of acute abdomen in children vary with age.
  • Sonography is a noninvasive and useful modality for assessing pediatric patients with acute abdominal pain.
Abstract

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