title: Ultrasonography in the management of acute appendicitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ultrasonography (US) shows promise in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors present their own experience in ultrasonography (US) employed in the diagnosis of appendicitis, based on 40 patients admitted to the Department of Surgery of the University of Perugia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  US was found to be easily obtainable and reliable; it had good specificity and sensitivity, was not very time consuming, and had a good cost/benefit ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors believe US is an important diagnostic tool that can reduce useless laparotomies for false acute appendicitis, particularly in cases presenting with unclear clinical findings.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chirurgia ed Emergenze Chirurgiche, Sezione di Chirurgia Generale e Vascolare, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Policlinico Monteluce, Via Brunamonti 2, 06122 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Covarelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mosci
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bisacci
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sensi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moggi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography