title: Acute abdomen in pregnancy: role of sonography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this presentation is to review the role of sonography in evaluation of acute abdomen during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Illustrative cases were collected from gravid patients who presented with signs and symptoms suspicious for acute abdomen and subsequently underwent sonography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This presentation shows sonographic findings of various maternal complications that can present with acute abdominal pain in pregnant patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sonography remains the first line of imaging in pregnant patients presenting with acute abdomen. Patient triage or additional imaging may be obtained on the basis of the sonographic findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, Toronto, ON, Canada. phyllis.glanc@sunnybrook.ca
authors.forename: Phyllis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Glanc
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maxwell
mesh_terms: D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006869:Hydronephrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014102:Torsion Abnormality / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal