Ultrasound (US) examination during graded compression was performed in 60 consecutive patients with clinical signs of acute appendicitis. In 25 (89%) of 28 patients with confirmed appendicitis, the inflamed appendix was visualized by US. Perforation was predictable in six of seven patients. In 32 patients without appendicitis, the appendix was not visualized. Graded-compression US is the examination of choice if there is doubt whether an appendectomy should be performed.
Abdominal wall endometriosis frequently presents with noncyclic symptoms. Imaging findings of a solid mass near a cesarean section scar strongly suggest its diagnosis.
Clinical, ultrasound (US), and computed tomographic (CT) findings at hospital admission and follow-up were retrospectively studied in seven patients with right-sided segmental infarction of the omentum. In all patients, the presumptive clinical diagnosis was appendicitis, although in three patients cholecystitis and pyelitis were also considered. US revealed an ovoid or cakelike, moderately hyperechoic, noncompressible lesion adherent to the peritoneum and located at the level of the umbilicus, anterolateral to the right half of the colon. On CT scans, a corresponding, better defined area of fat interspersed with hyperattenuating streaks was found. No abnormality of bowel or appendix was seen. The clinical symptoms and abnormalities on US scans gradually disappeared in all patients. Because no patient underwent surgery, no histologic proof was obtained. In all patients, however, the clinical, US, and CT findings were similar and consistent. They corresponded to the abnormality called right-sided segmental omental infarction in the surgery and radiology literature and enabled exclusion of appendicitis, thus preventing unnecessary surgery.
Epiploic appendicitis and segmental omentum infarction are considered to be rare conditions, which may mimic an abdominal surgical emergency. The purpose of our study was to describe clinical findings, US and CT appearance of infarction of an epiploic appendage and omentum, and to determine their epidemiological characteristics and natural history. We retrospectively studied clinical, US and CT findings at hospital admission and follow-up of all patients who were diagnosed at our institution with epiploic appendicitis or omentum infarction between June 1988 and November 1997. We found a relatively high incidence of 40 cases: 20 patients with epiploic appendicitis, 11 with omentum infarction, and 9 in whom it was not possible to discriminate between the both. All 40 patients recovered under conservative treatment without complications. We conclude that US and CT features allow a reliable diagnosis, thereby obviating unnecessary surgery. Discriminating between both conditions is of no practical relevance since treatment and prognosis are identical.
Diffuse gallbladder wall thickening may be caused by a wide range of gallbladder diseases and extracholecystic pathologic conditions. In most cases its cause can be determined by correlation of the clinical presentation and associated imaging findings.
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