[What is the thickness of the normal appendix on MDCT?].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the wall thickness and external diameter values of the normal appendix on multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Materials and methods. A senior radiologist with no knowledge of the patient's surgical history prospectively examined the abdominal-pelvic CT scans of 57 consecutive adult patients with no suspicion for appendicitis. Most of the patients (50/57) received an intravenous iodinated contrast material injection, but none had gastrointestinal studies. All slices (1 and 5 mm) and multiplanar reconstructions were analyzed on a treatment console. The external diameter of the appendix, the thickness of the two appendicular walls, and the presence or absence of intraluminal gas were noted.


RESULTS
The appendix was visualized in 82% of the cases (47/57). The mean external diameter was 6.7 mm+/-1.2 (range, 5.0-11.0 mm). The mean thickness of the two walls was 4.8 mm+/-1.0 (range, 2.6-6.4 mm). Intraluminal air was visualized in 87% of cases (41/47).


CONCLUSIONS
Contrary to external diameter, the normal thickness of the appendix's two walls does not go beyond the threshold of 6 mm and therefore seems to be a reliable measurement for identifying a normal appendix using MDCT.
Huwart
L
L
Service de Radiologie, Hôpital de Bicêtre, 78 Rue du Général Leclerc 94275 Le Kremlin Bicêtre Cedex, France. huwart.laurent@wanadoo.fr
El Khoury
M
M
Lesavre
A
A
Phan
C
C
Rangheard
A-S
AS
Bessoud
B
B
Menu
Y
Y
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001065:Appendix / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed