title: The value of unenhanced CT in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the accuracy of unenhanced CT in the preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Accuracy study, prospective and blinded.
  
  
  METHODS
  The University Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  52 patients with clinical and laboratorial manifestations of acute appendicitis. CT diagnosis was made by: presence of an abnormal appendix, appendiceal calculi with pericecal phlegmon or alterations in the pericecal appendicular site and absence of signs that may lead to other diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Overall accuracy, comparing the tomographic aspects with the intra-operative findings and pathological reports ("gold standard").
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute appendicitis was confirmed in 44 cases. Efficacy was 92%, sensitivity was 91%, specificity was 100%, positive predictive value was 100% and negative predictive value was 67%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unenhanced CT presents a similar overall accuracy to that reported by other authors who studied enhanced CT diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
authors.affiliation: Hospital São Paulo, Universidade Federal de São Paulo/Escola Paulista de Medicina, Brazil.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'lppolito
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: de Mello
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szejnfeld
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed