Hypothesis:Relative merits and indications exist for ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of appendicitis.Design: Prospective study.Setting: General community and tertiary care hospital.Methods: Ninety-nine patients (50 males and 49 females) were studied. Following consent, the initial disposition was recorded, designating the patient for operation, observation, or discharge from the hospital. Each patient was studied by CT and US. Studies were independently evaluated by 2 radiologists, and the results were designated as positive, negative, or equivocal. The surgeon reevaluated patients before and after learning the results of US and CT, recording whether the CT scan, US, or reexamination influenced the final disposition.Results: Fifty patients had appendicitis; 6 appendixes were perforated. The initial clinical impression called for 44 operations, 49 observations, and 6 discharges. Thirtyfour patients had their treatment plan changed from the initial disposition. Ultrasonography did not affect the ini-PAPER
Hemangiopericytoma (HP) is a rare vascular tumor that usually occurs in adults, but 10% occur in children. Tumors occurring in the first year of life are even more rare and are referred to as infantile hemangiopericytoma. In this article, we report the imaging, operative, and pathological findings in a patient with an infantile HP.
Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of limited computed tomography (CT) in the hands of the average radiologist in a busy community hospital assessing a patient for acute appendicitis. Materials and methods: Ninety-six consecutive patients were examined with CT and the results, independently reported, were correlated with histopathologic findings and clinical followup. Results: Forty-three patients had acute appendicitis, 53 patients did not; sensitivity was 89 %, specificity 91 %, accuracy 90 %, positive predictive value 91 %, and negative predictive value 90 %. Nonvisualization of the appendix did not necessarily preclude an accurate assessment for acute appendicitis. Conclusion: Limited CT of the pelvis using rectal contrast only is a useful radiographic test for evaluating acute appendicitis, with practical application for the average radiologist in a busy community hospital.Keywords Acute appendicitis ± Computed tomography ± Abdominal pain ± Acute abdomen ± Appendix The examinations were performed using GE Advantage HiSpeed Emergency Radiology (2001) 8: 257±261 Ó Am Soc Emergency Radiol (ASER) 2001 1-2 54-7 24 24 12 Fax: + 1-2 54-7 24 05 02Fig. 1 Supine view, normal appendix (arrow)
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