SALINE-FILLED APPENDICEAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN CLINICALLY EQUIVOCAL ACUTE APPENDICITIS

Background: To establish the value of saline-filled appendiceal ultras onography in the the diagnosis of clinically equivocal acute appendici tis, Methods: Saline-filled ultrasonography was performed in 43 patien ts with an equivocal clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Results : Sonography diagnosed 31 of 32 patients without acute appendicitis (9 7%). A normal appendix was visualized in 15 patients (47%), and we ide ntified a normal appendix in 15 of 22 patients (68%) in whom the colon was cleansed with Golytely(R). Sonography diagnosed 10 of ii patients with acute appendicitis (91%). In three of 10 patients, the findings corresponded to sonographic pitfalls. Conclusion: Saline-filled append iceal ultrasonography enables the detection of a normal appendix and m ay overcome sonographic pitfalls in acute appendicitis.