[Why should an abdominal CT scan be performed for suspected appendicitis in the adult patient? Lessons from ten clinical cases].
Ten years after its introduction, the contribution and indications for computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of appendicitis remain the subject of controversy among surgeons. Many argue that CT is frequently superfluous and costly, results in excessive radiation exposure, and delays surgical treatment. On our service, we perform 150 to 180 adult appendectomies annually. We feel that CT helps us to avoid unnecessary appendectomy, to clear up diagnostic uncertainty, and, most importantly, to guide the choice of surgical approach. We illustrate our experience through ten clinical cases in which the use of preoperative imaging has resulted in improved care.
Unité clinique de chirurgie digestive, département médicochirurgical de pathologie digestive, hôpital Lariboisière, AP-HP-GHU Nord, université Paris-Diderot-Paris-7, 2, rue Ambroise-Paré, 75475 Paris cedex 10, France.
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Pocard
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001062:Appendectomy; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures