The impact of early sonographic evaluation on hospital admissions of children with suspected acute appendicitis.

PURPOSE: Early ultrasound (US) evaluation of children with abdominal pain and suspected acute appendicitis (AA) is an important diagnostic tool. Since 2007, US has become part of routine emergency room (ER) work-up performed for suspected pediatric AA in our hospital. METHODS: We retrospectively compared hospital admissions from 2007 to 2008 with those from 2005 to 2006, when most ultrasounds were done after admission to Pediatric Surgery for observation. RESULTS: During the study (2005-2008), 6,511 children came to the ER with acute abdominal pain. Although pediatric ER sonography increased from 28.1% (865/3,079) in 2005-2006 to 51.7% (1,775/3,432) in 2007-2008 (p < 0.0001), hospitalizations decreased from 33 to 30.1% (p = 0.011). Concurrently, ER US for AA increased from 20.8% (639/2,440) to 38.9% (1,336/2,096) (p < 0.0001), admissions for suspected AA decreased from 51.8% (331/639) to 42% (561/1,336) (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Sonography led to a significant decline in admissions and better selection of patients who required surgery for AA. Recurrent ER referrals for the same complaint within 2 weeks was very low (2.9%) with no difference between the two study periods (p = 1); none had AA. These findings encourage us to continue early US in children with suspected AA. This effective tool decreases unnecessary hospital stays, investigative procedures, and surgery, while reducing costs.

Acute focal nephritis: its true sonographic face.

BACKGROUND: Acute focal nephritis is an inflammatory process of the renal parenchyma affecting principally the cortex of the kidney. It is considered a midpoint in the spectrum of upper urinary tract infections, ranging from uncomplicated pyelonephritis to intrarenal abscesses. Until recently the hyperechoic sonographic appearance of this lesion was considered uncommon. OBJECTIVES: To determine the relative prevalence of hyperechoic and hypoechoic sonographic appearance of focal renal lesions in patients with the clinical diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis and to correlate the findings with those of the color Doppler examinations. METHODS: We reviewed the sonograms of 367 patients hospitalized with the clinical diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis. The sonograms were reviewed for acute renal inflammatory changes. When a focal lesion was detected, we noted the echogenicity, side, form, location and color Doppler characteristics. RESULTS: Abnormal sonographic findings related to the infection were found in 78 cases. In 52 patients a focal lesion was diagnosed. Forty-seven focal lesions appeared hyperechoic related to the adjacent parenchyma. These lesions were more frequently located at the upper pole and were wedge-shaped in most of the cases. The areas appeared hypo/avascular on the color Doppler examination. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the most common appearance of acute focal nephritis is an area of increased echogenicity in the parenchyma of the affected kidney.

Increased detection of early vascular abnormalities after renal biopsies by color Doppler sonography.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency of abnormal vascular findings after renal biopsies as detected by color and pulsed Doppler sonography. METHODS: With both color and pulsed Doppler sonography, we examined 77 patients who underwent a renal biopsy of a native kidney. The examination was carried out before and immediately after the biopsy. A follow-up sonographic assessment was performed 24 hours later. If abnormal vascular findings were detected, the patients were reexamined after 2 weeks or even for a longer period. RESULTS: Tissue samples suitable for histologic diagnosis were obtained in 94% of the biopsies. In 17 of 77 patients, changes were observed in the color and pulsed Doppler examination immediately after the biopsy. A small localized flow disturbance was diagnosed in 10 kidneys, and a color tract was seen in 7. In 1 case, this tract was associated with a small localized flow disturbance. In 2 other patients, a localized flow disturbance was detected only in the examination performed 24 hours after the biopsy. Eight of the 10 flow disturbances diagnosed immediately after the biopsy and all tracts were not visible at the 24-hour follow-up examination. All these vascular findings were undetectable on sonographic examination without color and pulsed Doppler imaging. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that vascular lesions, detectable with color and pulsed Doppler sonography, are not rare findings early after renal biopsies. These vascular findings show a high rate of spontaneous resolution within the first 24 hours.

Sonographic findings of the genital tract in boys with cystic fibrosis.

This pictorial review illustrates the findings in the sonographic examination of the male genital tract in children with cystic fibrosis (from newborn to age 12 years). We illustrate the variability in appearance and discuss the differences in findings from those in adult males with cystic fibrosis.

Isolated severe renal injuries after minimal blunt trauma to the upper abdomen and flank: CT findings.

Renal injuries caused by blunt abdominal trauma are common in children. Serious renal trauma is associated with insult to other organs, whereas isolated renal injuries are usually minor. We present the cases of six male children (aged 7-17 years) with major isolated renal injuries due to minimal blunt trauma to the upper adbomen and/or the flank, out of a total of 21 children admitted with renal trauma in a 5-years period. On physical examination all patients had a painful, tender abdomen and/or flank with ipsilateral bruises and ecchymosis. Hematuria, either macro ( n=4) or micro ( n=2), was found in all. The injuries were left-sided in five and were of a variable severity (grade III: n=2; grade IV: n=3; grade V: n=1 according to the kidney injury scale of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma). Four children underwent nephrectomy. This small series underlines that major kidney insult can occur after a minimal blunt trauma localized to the flank or upper abdomen. Abdominal CT should be performed when clinical or laboratory findings or the mechanism of trauma suggest renal injury.

CT findings in patients with small bowel obstruction due to phytobezoar.

The role of CT in evaluating patients with small bowel obstruction (SBO) has been extensively described in the current literature. We present the CT findings of SBO due to a phytobezoar, afterwards surgically confirmed, in 5 men and 1 woman (aged 32-89 years) out of 95 patients diagnosed by CT as having SBO in a 44-month period. These six patients underwent abdominal CT prior to operation and the CT findings were retrospectively reviewed. All six patients presented with clinical symptoms and signs of SBO; three of them had undergone gastric surgery 13, 17, and 22 years earlier, respectively. In all six cases, CT showed an ovoid intraluminal mass, 3 x 5 cm in size and of a mottled appearance, at the transition zone between dilated and collapsed small bowel loops. This was in contrast to feces-like material (the "small bowel feces sign"), seen within dilated small bowel loops in nine patients with SBO, and was typically longer. As CT is frequently performed for suspected SBO, an ovoid, short intraluminal mottled mass seen at the site of an obstruction may be regarded as a pathognomonic preoperative sign of an obstructing phytobezoar.

The distance from the skin to the subarachnoid space can be predicted in premature and former-premature infants.

PURPOSE: Spinal anesthesia can be technically challenging in young infants. We studied whether the distance between the skin and the lumbar subarachnoid space in premature and former-premature young infants could be predicted prior to lumbar puncture. METHODS: The distance from skin entry point to tip of the spinal needle was measured using a caliper after lumbar spinal anesthesia at the L4-5 interspace. This distance was correlated to the patient's weight, postconceptual age and lumbar ultrasonographic measurement of the skin-to-subarachnoid space and predictive statistical models were sought. RESULTS: Thirty-five premature or former-premature infants were studied. Three models were examined: all three independent variables, weight and postconceptual age only, and weight only. The model selected contained the weight and postconceptual age, because it had the highest value for adjusted R squared, as well as the lowest value for the mean squared error. Adding the ultrasonic measurement to the model worsened the results. The statistical model that described the depth of the subarachnoid space at the L4-5 level was Y = 13.19 + 0.0026 x W - 0.12 x PCA, where Y is the distance (mm) from the skin to the subarachnoid space, W is the patient's weight (g) and PCA is the postconceptual age (weeks). Adjusted R squared was 0.72, mean square error was 2.63 and P < 10(-9). CONCLUSION: The distance between the skin and the subarachnoid space at the level of L4-5 interspace can be predicted using a statistical model based on the infant's weight and postconceptual age. Spinal ultrasound has no value in L4-5 subarachnoid space depth prediction.

Computed tomographic features of intraperitoneal fat-containing lesions: pictorial essay.

Abdominal CT, which is a common imaging modality performed for a variety of clinical indications, provides an important tool in the diagnosis and evaluation of various lesions with fatty components affecting the peritoneal cavity and its contents.

Minimal pelvic fluid in asymptomatic children: the value of the sonographic finding.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the presence of minimal pelvic fluid in asymptomatic children who underwent abdominal sonography. METHODS: Between August 1999 and January 2001, we performed abdominal sonography in 396 asymptomatic children and 266 symptomatic children (acute and chronic abdominal pain). The 2 groups were evaluated for the presence of minimal fluid in the pelvis. All the children were divided into 4 subgroups according to age and sex. RESULTS: Minimal pelvic fluid was noted in 28 (7%) of the asymptomatic children, and it was more common in girls (10.2%), especially in girls between the ages of 5 and 15 years. On the contrary, no difference between the age groups was seen in boys. Minimal pelvic fluid was found in 76 (28.6%) of the symptomatic children, with no difference seen between the sexes or age groups. The presence of pelvic fluid was significantly greater in the symptomatic group than in asymptomatic group (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the presence of minimal pelvic fluid in children of all ages and both sexes is a physiologic finding and should be evaluated in the appropriate clinical context.

Fetal urinoma as a sign of a dysplastic kidney.

We describe a female neonate in whom a urinoma was first diagnosed at 20 weeks of gestation without any evidence of underlying urinary tract obstruction. The urinoma became apparent following the performance of a "bloody tap" amniocentesis. Sequential ultrasonography, both fetal and up to 3 months after birth, showed eventual resorption of the urinoma in parallel with the development of a shrunken, non-functioning kidney. Except for the onset of high-renin hypertension, which spontaneously remitted at 1 year of age, the baby's postnatal course was uneventful. Renal function was normal. The presence of a fetal urinoma as a sign of a dysplastic kidney is discussed.

Sonographic appearance of an appendiceal diverticulum.

The increasing use of sonography for evaluating acute abdomen has brought greater recognition of appendicular abnormalities. We present an incidental finding of an appendiceal diverticulum during a sonographic examination of a 4-year-old child with acute appendicitis. Abdominal sonography showed an enlarged, swollen appendix with a diameter of 1.1 cm and a small, fingerlike lateral projection approximately 2.0 cm from its tip. The specimen, resected during an appendectomy, was 5.5 cm long and 1.0 cm in diameter and had a 0.3-cm outpouching. Microscopic examination revealed a pseudodiverticulum composed of mucosa and muscularis mucosa.

Childhood abdominal cystic lymphangioma.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal lymphangioma is a rare benign congenital malformation of the mesenteric and/or retroperitoneal lymphatics. Clinical presentation is variable and may be misleading; therefore, complex imaging studies are necessary in the evaluation of this condition. US and CT have a major role in the correct preoperative diagnosis and provide important information regarding location, size, adjacent organ involvement, and expected complications. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and imaging findings of seven children with proven abdominal cystic lymphangioma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical and imaging files of seven children with pathologically proven abdominal lymphangioma, from three university hospitals, were retrospectively evaluated. Patient's ages ranged from 1 day to 6 years (mean, 2.2 years). Symptoms and signs included evidence of inflammation, abnormal prenatal US findings, chronic abdominal pain, haemorrhage following trauma, clinical signs of intestinal obstruction, and abdominal distension with lower extremities lymphoedema. Plain films of five patients, US of six patients and CT of five patients were reviewed. Sequential imaging examinations were available in two cases. RESULTS: Abdominal plain films showed displacement of bowel loops by a soft tissue mass in five of six patients, two of them with dilatation of small bowel loops. US revealed an abdominal multiloculated septated cystic mass in five of six cases and a single pelvic cyst in one which changed in appearance over 2 months. Ascites was present in three cases. CT demonstrated a septated cystic mass of variable sizes in all available five cases. Sequential US and CT examinations in two patients showed progressive enlargement of the masses, increase of fluid echogenicity, and thickening of walls or septa in both cases, with multiplication of septa in one case. At surgery, mesenteric lymphangioma was found in five patients and retroperitoneal lymphangioma in the other two. CONCLUSIONS: US and CT are highly sensitive in the diagnosis of abdominal lymphangioma. Our limited experience with follow-up examinations in two patients suggests that progressive enlargement, multiplication and thickening of septa and increased echogenicity of the cystic fluid are signs indicating complications demanding urgent treatment.