Assessment of the value and findings of CT in diagnosing acute appendicitis

Appendicitis is one of the most common abdominal emergencies. Patients are usually presented with lower right abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever. Acute appendicitis is a challenging clinical diagnosis, and patients with suspected appendicitis can be diagnosed by Ultrasound (US) or computed tomography (CT) according to the hospital protocol and patient clinical condition. The aim of this study is to investigate the value of CT in diagnosing suspected cases of acute appendicitis. Retrospective research to evaluate the role of CT scan in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, based on data received from King Abdulaziz university hospital in Jeddah, from January 2017 to January 2022. A total of 204 patients (121 Males and 83 Females) ranging in age from 2 to 91 years presented with acute appendicitis were included. The collected data included age, gender, patients' complaints, medical history, laboratory tests, radiology reports, operations, and pathological results. The most prevalent age group was 10-30 years old. Most patients (77%) presented with typical appendicular pain, while (56%) presented with vomiting. CT was requested for 142 patients while 35 patients were referred to Ultrasound. Both modalities were done to 27 patients. The Commonest finding in CT scan was dilated appendix with sensitivity of 84% with 100% overall diagnostic sensitivity. CT is a sensitive tool used to diagnose acute appendicitis and its complications. It is recommended to be used as the primary imaging modality in cases of acute appendicitis.