CT evaluation of appendicitis and its complications: imaging techniques and key diagnostic findings.
OBJECTIVE
This article reviews various CT protocols for appendicitis, identifies key CT findings for diagnosing appendicitis, discusses unusual manifestations such as chronic and recurrent appendicitis, and profiles imaging features that differentiate appendicitis from other inflammatory and neoplastic ileocecal conditions. Patients were studied with helical CT.


CONCLUSIONS
CT is a highly accurate, noninvasive test for appendicitis, but the optimal CT technique is controversial. Major complications of appendicitis (perforation, abscess formation, peritonitis, bowel obstruction, septic seeding of mesenteric vessels, gangrenous appendicitis) and their management are discussed. Abdominal CT is a well-established technique in the study of acute abdominal pain and has shown high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing and differentiating appendicitis, providing an accurate diagnosis in the early stages of disease.
Pinto Leite
Nuno
N
Department of Radiology, Hospital São João, Oporto Medical School, Oporto, Portugal.
Pereira
José M
JM
Cunha
Rui
R
Pinto
Pedro
P
Sirlin
Claude
C
D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
D003287:Contrast Media