Purpose or Case Report: Purpose or Case Report: Ultrasound Diagnosis of Perforated Appendicitis in Pediatric Patients. Acute appendicitis is the most common condition requiring emergency surgery in children. In a pediatric setting, it is common for clinicians to request an ultrasound as the imaging modality of choice when there is a clinical concern for appendicitis. Therefore, it is important to differentiate a perforated appendicitis from a nonperforated appendicitis. Treatment of nonperforated appendicitis requires immediate surgical intervention while perforated appendicitis can be managed conservatively. Our purpose is to describe the sonographic appearance of a perforated appendicitis. We will characterize the two main appearances of perforated appendicitis seen on ultrasound. These appearances include: 1.) Visualization of the appendix with loss of the echogenic submucosal layer, the presence of an intraluminal appendicolith, or a large amount of periappendiceal echogenic fat. 2.) Non-visualization of the appendix but the sonographic appearance of an abscess formation can be associated with perforation.
Methods & Materials: Methods and Materials: We present 4 cases in which the clinical records confirmed perforated appendicitis in children ranging in age from 2 years - 15 years. The clinical records were used for ultrasound reports, CT reports if available, IR reports if available, and operative reports. All four patient histories included right lower quadrant pain and fever. Results: All Four patients had an Ultrasound diagnosis of perforated appendicitis, CT scan confirming abscess, and IR drain placed.
Results:
Conclusions: