Sonographic findings in abdominal hereditary angioedema

Patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) may suffer from abdominal pain se vere enough to prompt unnecessary surgical intervention. The diagnostic app roach to abdominal pain during HAE attacks is not established. We describe abdominal sonographic findings during severe colic in 2 patients with known HAE. Sonography demonstrated marked mucosal thickening and edema of the bo wel wall with a variable amount of free peritoneal fluid. These findings ar e not specific but are consistent with the hypothesized mechanism of attack and resolve after therapy. Abdominal sonography is useful for evaluating a cute abdominal pain in patients with known HAE to prevent unnecessary surge ry. Conversely, if the described sonographic findings appear in a case of a bdominal colic of unknown origin, HAE should be included in the differentia l diagnosis. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.