title: Ultrasound of the appendix in children: is the child too obese?
abstract: The negative influence of obesity on the detection rate of the appendix for US in adults has been reported. It has been assumed that obesity is a limiting factor in the detection of the appendix with US in children as well, but this has not yet been proven. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether nutritional condition (defined by the body mass index-for-age percentiles: BMI-FAP) influences the detection of the appendix in children on US. One hundred twenty-six children (65 girls and 61 boys) with a mean age of 11.4 years with clinically suspected acute appendicitis underwent ultrasound on a commercially available high-end machine (HDI 5000, ATL, Bothell, Wash.). The BMI was calculated, and children were divided in three weight groups in accordance with the BMI-FAP, and were correlated with US findings. Evaluation of the three weight groups in accordance with the BMI-FAP demonstrated significant differences ( p=0.04) in the detection of the appendix. There was no statistical significance for the BMI, weight, height, and age solely for the detection of the appendix. In children there is a correlation between the nutritional condition as defined by the BMI-FAP and the detection of the appendix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiodiagnostics, University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria. marcus.hoermann@univie.ac.at
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hörmann
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scharitzer
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stadler
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pokieser
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puig
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Helbich
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001065:Appendix / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015588:Observer Variation; D014463:Ultrasonography