Real-time elastography in acute appendicitis

Abstract

Objective: This study was done to evaluate the role of real-time Elastography (ES) in the diagnosis and staging the severity of acute appendicitis. Methods: Forty patients with acute pain in the right iliac fossa were evaluated using ES and sonography. All patients with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis on ES were also staged for the severity of appendicular inflammation and later underwent surgery, and the findings on imaging were confirmed and results compared. The sensitivity and specificity for ES and sonography were then calculated. Results: Elastography had sensitivity and specificity of 100% each, whereas sonography had sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 100%. Elastography also depicted the severity of inflammation, with 12 patients having mild, 8 having moderate, and 5 having severe appendicitis. Conclusions: Combining ES with sonography improves the sensitivity in detection of acute appendicitis and can also be used to triage the severity of inflammation in such patients. © 2010 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.