Non-contrast Spiral Computed Tomography in Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis

Background/ Approach to patients with acute right lower quadrant pain remains a clinical dilemma. Decreasing the risk of negative appendectomies is one of the major goals surgery units intend to achieve. This study has been conducted to determine the accuracy of non-contrast focused appendiceal computed tomography (CT) in preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis.Patients and During a period of three months, 50 consecutive adult and adolescent patients who were clinically diagnosed as acute appendicitis were included in this study. Focused non-enhanced appendiceal spiral computed tomography (CT) was performed for all patients, preoperatively. Two radiologists who were unaware of the surgical findings assessed the CT scans. After the operation and pathologic assessment, eight patients with negative appendectomy were found. The sensitivity of CT was 0.71 and 0.83 according to the interpretations of the first and second radiologists, respectively. Moreover, its specificity was 0.88 and 0.75 according to the first and second radiologists'' reports, respectively. In patients with clinically diagnosed acute appendicitis, relying on abdominal CT is not helpful.