[Diagnosis of acute appendicitis by transvaginal sonography]

Abstract

Acute appendicitis is the most common indication for laparotomy. Nevertheless, diagnostic specificity is low and rates of false positive and false negative diagnoses are high, since there is no direct technique for visualizing the appendix. The ultrasonic appearance of appendicitis has recently been described. We present the first case of acute appendicitis identified via high frequency transvaginal sonography, in a 26-year-old woman. Because of the proximity to pelvic organs, transvaginal sonography may improve the diagnosis rate of acute appendicitis, especially in young women in whom the correct diagnosis is more difficult.