MSCT boosts diagnosis of perforated appendix

Japanese researchers have found that detection of an enhancement defect of the appendiceal wall using multislice CT allows accurate diagnosis of perforations of the inflamed appendix.

Dr. Masahiro Tsuboi and colleagues at the Tohoku University in Miyagi retrospectively evaluated 102 patients with confirmed appendicitis. The investigators found that contrast-enhanced MSCT was able to spot appendix perforations accurately in 38 of 40 patients confirmed with perforated appendicitis based on a particular enhancement defect of the appendiceal wall. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were all above 95%. Researchers published their results in the January issue of Radiology (2008;246:142-147).