ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSIS OF APPENDICITIS - US EFULNESS AND LIMITS

Appendicitis is a frequently encountered surgical emergency which can be diagnosed by clinical and laboratory criteria. But there are some a typical cases that ultrasound can help to diagnose. From April the 9th 1992 to April the 11th 1993, we have examined by ultrasound 465 patie nts entered in our hospital for right lower quadrant pain. 190 patient s have been diagnosed as appendicitis and operated (true positive = 12 4 cases, false negative = 54 cases and false positive = 12 cases). 275 patients have been diagnosed as negative and they are not operated (t rue = 273 cases, false positive = 2 cases). So in our study, the sensi tivity is 70%, the specificity is 95% and the accuracy is 85%. Our sci entific report has the objective to show the usefulness and the limits of ultrasound in the diagnosis of appendicitis.