Imaging confirms or excludes the presence of gangrenous appendicitis with high sensitivity and specificity.
Dual-energy CT with virtual monoenergetic and iodine overlay imaging accurately confirms or excludes the presence of gangrenous appendicitis, according to a study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Researchers from Canada performed a retrospective study to determine if the use of dual-energy spectral techniques in CT can improve accuracy in the diagnosis of acute gangrenous appendicitis.
Related article: CT Technology: An Overview of the Latest Menu
A total of 209 patients with a pathologic diagnosis of appendicitis were included in the study. Two board-certified abdominal radiologists reviewed 120-kV simulated images, 40-keV virtual monoenergetic images, and color-coded iodine overlay images.
The results showed 44 patients (21.0%) had histopathologic results positive for gangrenous appendicitis. Other findings were:
All cases of gangrenous appendicitis had true-positive results of virtual monoenergetic and iodine overlay imaging. There were no false-negative results of virtual monoenergetic or iodine overlay imaging.
The researchers concluded that in cases of suspected appendicitis, dual-energy CT that includes virtual monoenergetic and iodine overlay imaging is accurate for confirming and excluding the presence of gangrenous appendicitis with high sensitivity and specificity.
Can CT-Based Deep Learning Bolster Prognostic Assessments of Ground-Glass Nodules?
June 19th 2025Emerging research shows that a multiple time-series deep learning model assessment of CT images provides 20 percent higher sensitivity than a delta radiomic model and 56 percent higher sensitivity than a clinical model for prognostic evaluation of ground-glass nodules.