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Sonography of Abdominal Pain in Children: Appendicitis and Its Common Mimics

Thomas Ray Sanchez1, Michael T Corwin2, Andrew Davoodian2

  • 1Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis Medical Center Children's Hospital, Sacramento California USA (T.R.S., R.S.-W.); Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California USA (M.T.C., R.S.-W.); and University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California USA (A.D.) trsanchez@ucdavis.edu.

Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine : Official Journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
|February 20, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric abdominal pain is common. This essay details how ultrasound (sonography) identifies acute appendicitis and its mimics like intussusception, aiding diagnosis in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Radiology
  • Abdominal Imaging
  • Diagnostic Ultrasound

Background:

  • Abdominal pain is a frequent complaint in children under 18.
  • Ultrasound (sonography) offers a safe and effective imaging method for pediatric abdominal pain.
  • Accurate diagnosis is crucial for timely and appropriate management of pediatric abdominal conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To illustrate the sonographic findings of acute appendicitis in children.
  • To describe the imaging characteristics of perforated appendicitis.
  • To present the sonographic features of common appendicitis mimics in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Pictorial essay format utilizing diagnostic sonography.
  • Review of sonographic appearances of various pediatric abdominal pathologies.
  • Focus on differentiating acute appendicitis from its mimics.

Main Results:

  • Detailed sonographic findings for acute appendicitis, including perforation.
  • Characteristic ultrasound features of mesenteric adenitis/gastroenteritis.
  • Sonographic identification of intussusception, Meckel diverticulum, and ovarian torsion.

Conclusions:

  • Sonography is a valuable tool for diagnosing acute appendicitis in children.
  • Recognizing the sonographic features of appendicitis mimics improves diagnostic accuracy.
  • Ultrasound facilitates differentiation of common causes of pediatric abdominal pain.

Keywords:
abdominal painappendicitismimicspediatric ultrasoundsonography

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