title: Alternative diagnoses at paediatric appendicitis MRI.
abstract: As the utilization of MRI in the assessment for paediatric appendicitis increases in clinical practice, it is important to recognize alternative diagnoses as the cause of abdominal pain. The purpose of this review is to share our institution's experience using MRI in the evaluation of 510 paediatric patients presenting with suspected appendicitis over a 30 month interval (July 2011 to December 2013). An alternative diagnosis was documented in 98/510 (19.2%) patients; adnexal pathology (6.3%, n = 32), enteritis-colitis (6.3%, n = 32), and mesenteric adenitis (2.2%, n = 11) comprised the majority of cases. These common entities and other less frequent illustrative cases obtained during our overall institutional experience with MRI for suspected appendicitis are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA. Electronic address: mmoore5@hmc.psu.edu.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Kulaylat
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brian
authors.affiliation: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khaku
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hulse
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Engbrecht
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Methratta
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: D K B
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Boal
mesh_terms: D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000208:Acute Disease; D000291:Adnexal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D000293:Adolescent; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004760:Enterocolitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008640:Mesenteric Lymphadenitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity