A Prospective Study to Analyze the Accuracy of Ultrasonography in the Diagnosis of Acute Right Lower Quadrant Pain in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Background: To assess the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography in differentiating causes of acute right lower quadrant pain in women of childbearing age by taking surgical outcome as the gold standard. Methods: The descriptive, analytical study was conducted at the Lord Buddha Medical College, Saharsa, from July to November 2014 to April 2015, and comprised female patients of childbearing age who presented with acute right lower quadrant pain and underwent surgery after ultrasonography. Results: Of the 50 patients enrolled in our study on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 35 (70%) patients were symptomatically and sonographically positive to have either acutely inflamed non-compressible appendix or focal fluid collection in right lower quadrant with normal pelvic viscera. Sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 84% were calculated. Conclusion: Ultrasound had a sensitivity and specificity justifying its usage as a good diagnostic tool in emergency situations to avoid undue surgical interventions.

Bedside Sonographic Characteristics of Early and Late Appendicitis

PURPOSE: Studies on the relationship between appendiceal inflammation and bedside ultrasonographic findings are lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine statistically significant parameters to diagnose appendicitis earlier by comparing ultrasonographic findings and clinical features between early and late appendicitis. METHODS: A registry of right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain ultrasound from December 2011 to December 2012 was reviewed. Among these cohorts, patients pathologically proven to have appendicitis were selected and divided into two groups: an early appendicitis group, patients who complained of a diffuse abdominal pain, and a late appendicitis group, patients who complained of a localized right lower quadrant pain. The two groups were compared according to gender, age, bedside ultrasonographic findings, inflammatory markers, clinical features, and postoperative pathological findings. RESULTS: A total of 102 patients were enrolled in this study. Among them, 42 patients (41.2%) were in the early appendicitis group and 60(58.8%) were in the late appendicitis group. Appendiceal diameter and noncompressibility did not differ between the groups. However, periappendiceal fat infiltration and fluid were less prevalent in the early group (p=0.031 vs. p=0.022, respectively). CONCLUSION: Appendiceal diameter and non-compressibility were the only bedside ultrasound findings found in early appendicitis patients. Emergency physicians can detect early appendicitis and prevent complications before the migration of abdominal pain to the RLQ by bedside ultrasonography.

Bedside Sonographic Characteristics of Early and Late Appendicitis

PURPOSE: Studies on the relationship between appendiceal inflammation and bedside ultrasonographic findings are lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine statistically significant parameters to diagnose appendicitis earlier by comparing ultrasonographic findings and clinical features between early and late appendicitis. METHODS: A registry of right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain ultrasound from December 2011 to December 2012 was reviewed. Among these cohorts, patients pathologically proven to have appendicitis were selected and divided into two groups: an early appendicitis group, patients who complained of a diffuse abdominal pain, and a late appendicitis group, patients who complained of a localized right lower quadrant pain. The two groups were compared according to gender, age, bedside ultrasonographic findings, inflammatory markers, clinical features, and postoperative pathological findings. RESULTS: A total of 102 patients were enrolled in this study. Among them, 42 patients (41.2%) were in the early appendicitis group and 60(58.8%) were in the late appendicitis group. Appendiceal diameter and noncompressibility did not differ between the groups. However, periappendiceal fat infiltration and fluid were less prevalent in the early group (p=0.031 vs. p=0.022, respectively). CONCLUSION: Appendiceal diameter and non-compressibility were the only bedside ultrasound findings found in early appendicitis patients. Emergency physicians can detect early appendicitis and prevent complications before the migration of abdominal pain to the RLQ by bedside ultrasonography.

Abdominal Computed Tomography in Patients with Right Lower Quadrant Pain

PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of abdominal computed tomography (CT) for patients with right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain. METHODS: Between January 2006 and July 2008, 191 consecutive patients with RLQ pain underwent abdominal CT (CT group). Forty-two patients who had undergone abdominal ultrasound (US group) and 52 patients without abdominal CT or abdominal ultrasound for RLQ pain (clinical Dx group) underwent emergent operations. Using the Alvarado scoring system, we scored all patients. The abdominal CT was performed in the abdominal and pelvic area with contrast. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-one (63.4%) of the 191 patients in the CT group were preoperatively diagnosed as having acute appendicitis and underwent surgery. There were three cases of negative appendectomy (1.6%). In the US group and the clinical Dx group, the negative appendectomy rates were 4.8% and 3.8%, respectively. The sensitivity of the abdominal CT was 96.7%. In the CT group, in addition to acute appendicitis, colitis, nonspecific enteritis, diverticulitis, urinary stone, ovary, uterine, and diseases were indentified. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, abdominal CT scans in patients with RLQ pain were useful for the diagnosis acute appendicitis and for the differential diagnosis of other diseases presenting with RLQ pain. The false positive rate was significantly lower in the CT group than in the other groups.