ULTRASONOGRAPHIC FINDINGS AFTER CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT OF ACUTE APPENDICITIS AND OPEN APPENDECTOMY

In a randomized study we investigated the effects of antibiotics as th e only treatment in acute appendicitis. Forty patients were examined, 19 after antibiotic treatment (one operated due to perforation) and 21 after surgery. All patients were examined prior to randomization, aft er 10 days and after 30 days. Of the positive ultrasonographic (US) fi ndings, 18 (86%) of the 21 operated patients had histologically proven acute appendicitis. At the 10th day, 9 patients had a seroma under th e scar, which had disappeared a month after surgery in all patients. I n the 19 patients conservatively treated with antibiotics, the appendi x could be visualized in 8 symptom-free cases on the 10th day. In 5 of the 8 patients the appendix was still Visualized after 1 month. Three of these 5 had recurrent appendicitis within a year. It is concluded that US can be used not only in diagnosing acute appendicitis, but als o in the evaluation of treatments such as antibiotics.