title: Cystic fibrosis: unenhanced CT description of the appendix in asymptomatic adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to describe the unenhanced CT appearance of the appendix in adults with cystic fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among adults with cystic fibrosis undergoing follow-up at our hospital, 71 patients (35 women, 36 men; mean age, 33 years; range, 18-59 years) without a history of appendectomy or current abdominal pain were prospectively included in this study and underwent unenhanced abdominopelvic MDCT. Two readers coded visualization of the appendix, measured the diameter of the appendix, and described the attenuation of its contents in relation to the intestinal wall. They also coded the presence of colonic wall redundancy, pancreatic fatty replacement, and cirrhosis. Lung transplant status and CFTR gene mutations were recorded. Analysis of variance, linear regression analysis, Student t test, and Pearson test were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The appendix was detected in all patients. The mean diameter was recorded as 10.6 ± 3.5 mm. The mean diameter was larger when the appendix contained hyperattenuating material (p = 0.001). There was no association between diameter and the other coded CT findings (p = 0.076-0.466), transplant status (p = 0.788), or CFTR mutation (p = 0.078). In 75% of the patients, the appendix contained hyperattenuating material with a higher proportion in homozygous ΔF508 mutation (p = 0.029) without any significant effect of the other CT features (p = 0.056-0.392), or transplant status (p = 1.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The appendix is larger in adults with cystic fibrosis than in those without it and appears hyperattenuating at unenhanced CT in 75% of patients, more commonly in those with ΔF508 homozygous mutation.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles, Rte de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keyzer
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Knoop
authors.forename: Morgane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Wettere
authors.forename: Maryse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dehu
authors.forename: Natacha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gosset
authors.forename: Viviane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Maertelaer
authors.forename: Pierre Alain
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gevenois
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001065:Appendix / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*