title: Sonographic findings in abdominal hereditary angioedema.
abstract: Patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) may suffer from abdominal pain severe enough to prompt unnecessary surgical intervention. The diagnostic approach to abdominal pain during HAE attacks is not established. We describe abdominal sonographic findings during severe colic in 2 patients with known HAE. Sonography demonstrated marked mucosal thickening and edema of the bowel wall with a variable amount of free peritoneal fluid. These findings are not specific but are consistent with the hypothesized mechanism of attack and resolve after therapy. Abdominal sonography is useful for evaluating acute abdominal pain in patients with known HAE to prevent unnecessary surgery. Conversely, if the described sonographic findings appear in a case of abdominal colic of unknown origin, HAE should be included in the differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Gastroenterologia, Università di Bologna, Ospedale S. Orsola-Malpighi, Via Albertoni 15, 40128 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sofia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casali
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bolondi
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D000799:Angioedema / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008643:Mesentery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012008:Recurrence; D014463:Ultrasonography