title: CT diagnosis of acute appendicitis: imaging findings.
abstract: Acute appendicitis, at times, is a difficult clinical diagnosis. CT can play a valuable role in selected patients with suspected appendicitis; the CT diagnosis of acute appendicitis has high positive and negative predictive values, 96% and 95%, respectively [1]. In this essay, we review the normal CT anatomy of the appendix and the right lower quadrant and illustrate the CT signs of appendicitis and important differential diagnostic entities. The CT appearance of complications of acute appendicitis is also presented, as are issues concerning examination technique and patient preparation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Curtin
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nemcek
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Hoff
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Vogelzang
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001065:Appendix / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods