Abdominal pains may well have a simple origin if they are caused by overeating or minor ailments, but in some cases they are symptoms of a more insidious and serious pathology - appendicitis. In this case, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible, since this disease is dangerous with serious consequences for the human body and can lead to death if the appendix is allowed to rupture. Is it possible to see appendicitis on ultrasound?
How is the disease detected?
Identification of appendicitis is carried out using various research methods. In some cases, a latent course of inflammation or a weak severity of the main signs is possible. Such situations require an ultrasound with appendicitis, the purpose of which is to exclude other diseases that have similar symptoms. I must say that ultrasound reaches ninety percent accuracy.
Causes of appendicitis
As a rule, appendicitis develops due to the influence of the polymicrobial flora, which is represented by staphylococci, Escherichia coli, anaerobes, strepto-, staphilo- and enterococci. Pathogens penetrate the wall of the appendix from the lumen, that is, enterogenously.
Also, the conditions for the occurrence of appendicitis are created during stagnation of the intestinal contents in the appendix due to its inflection, as well as the presence in the lumen of hyperplasia of lymphoid tissue, fecal stones and foreign bodies.
A particular role is played by the nutritional characteristics and location of the appendix, excessive meat consumption and a tendency to constipation, as a result of which a large number of protein decay products are collected in the intestinal contents, and this forms a favorable environment for the multiplication of various pathogenic microorganisms. Whether ultrasound will see appendicitis is of interest to many.
In addition to the mechanical causes, appendicitis can be caused by parasitic and infectious diseases, such as typhoid fever, intestinal tuberculosis, amoebiasis and yersiniosis.
In pregnant women, the risk of appendicitis increases due to an increase in the size of the uterus and a change in the position of the appendix and cecum. They also have such factors predisposing to appendicitis as the restructuring of the immune system, constipation and changes in the blood supply to the pelvic organs.
When is an ultrasound scan required?
Appendicitis is an acute inflammation of the appendix requiring surgical treatment. Although this vermiform appendix is a vestigial organ, it still performs three main functions:
- collects and grows colonies of beneficial intestinal microflora;
- produces a number of hormones;
- acts as a barrier that blocks the movement of various infections.
Although a number of experts consider this organ useful (although it was previously claimed that it is useless and harmful), it is necessary to get rid of it surgically with inflammation. Ultrasound is the best way that helps to identify appendicitis in the absence of a pronounced clinical picture. A doctor may order an abdominal examination in the following cases:
- when the patient complains of pain of any intensity, concentrated in various places of the abdomen (most often, appendicitis is characterized by soreness of the lower abdomen or iliac region on the right side);
- the doctor has preliminary information about the examination and anamnesis, which allow suspecting appendicitis;
- a blood test along with the growth of leukocytes reflects a shift in the formula to the left: in this case, it is necessary to exclude the presence of inflammation of the process of the cecum of the patient or non-specific symptoms.
Atypical situations
Ultrasound with appendicitis is also carried out in atypical situations, especially for pregnant women, children and the elderly, as well as for patients who are weakened by other diseases. They may not feel pain in places that are more often disturbed by appendicitis. Thanks to ultrasound, you can no longer doubt the origin of pain in people who differ in the abnormal location of the appendix. This rudimentary organ may not be located in different people as shown in anatomical manuals. Since this part of the cecum is characterized by mobility, it is able to change its orientation in the abdominal cavity. That is why pain may not occur in places that are characteristic of classic type appendicitis. In this situation, methods such as ultrasound and computed tomography are most often used. Ultrasound with appendicitis is used more widely, since it is affordable, costs less and is faster. In addition, not all hospitals are equipped with CT devices.
Ultrasound Benefits
If appendicitis is characterized by dangerous complications, such as perforation, sepsis and gangrenization, immediate surgical intervention is required. When the symptoms are well expressed, specialists take into account the clinical picture as a whole. However, with an implicit manifestation of symptoms or an atypical course of appendicitis, any delay in the operation may cost the patient life. In this case, an ultrasound examination of the appendix is necessary. Thanks to this procedure, it becomes possible to analyze the current state of a person. In addition, almost half of the abdominal pathologies are characterized by symptoms that resemble acute appendicitis. Complicating all this is that the location of the appendix can be completely different, as a result of which there are differences in the nature of the pain and the characteristics of inflammation. It is an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity with appendicitis that allows you to make the correct diagnosis and assign a timely and competent treatment to the patient.
As it was before?
Until the eighties of the last century, x-ray radiation was used by barium. Ultrasound has now become safer and can be safely used even for examining children and pregnant women. Many experts believe that computed tomography is a more accurate method. However, ultrasound is not inferior to him at all and at the same time is distinguished by its availability and lower cost. If the situation is urgent, then resort primarily to ultrasound, because it allows you to quickly get information about the patient's condition.
So appendicitis can be seen on an ultrasound scan.
This is especially convenient in detecting inflammation of the appendix in pregnant women and children. Due to the anatomical specificity, it is rather difficult to diagnose appendicitis using classical methods. In addition, children often cannot easily and coherently explain in which place they feel pain, as a result of which the diagnosis is difficult, which means that it is impossible to prescribe the correct treatment.
However, ultrasound has its drawbacks. For example, due to improper preparation for the procedure, bloating or excess weight of the patient, certain areas of the abdominal cavity may not be reflected on the monitor screen. However, the final diagnosis and definition of treatment is the responsibility of the surgeon, since ultrasound is only a way of collecting information.
Does ultrasound determine appendicitis, we explained.
Preparation for the procedure and its implementation
Ultrasound of appendicitis does not require any special preparation. In addition, this procedure is often carried out for health reasons. If a patient is brought to a medical institution with acute symptoms, then only an ultrasound scan will help to confirm the diagnosis as quickly as possible. If the examination is planned, then it is advisable not to overeat, not to eat food that causes a meteorite, and come on an empty stomach. The study is performed in the same way as in the case of the analysis of other organs of the abdominal cavity. Most often, for this purpose, a simple abdominal sensor is used to diagnose pathology through the abdominal wall, as well as a special gel that enhances contact and improves conductivity. The patient needs to come with a diaper and a towel (or napkin). Very rarely, in women with a deviated or abnormally low location of the appendix, a study using a vaginal sensor is used, due to which it is possible to exclude extraneous conditions and diseases, for example, ovarian apoplexy, adnexitis or ectopic pregnancy.
Appendicitis will be seen on an ultrasound scan. Proper decryption is important.
Data decryption
Ultrasound allows you to get an unambiguous and clear picture of the disease. The monitor displays an inflamed appendix in an enlarged form, surrounded by exudate. If the stage is gangrenous, then traces of purulent contents that stand out from the process are noticeable. When the pain is not associated with appendicitis, the process differs in its usual size and does not contain signs of inflammation.
Conclusion
In some cases, it is not possible to make a final diagnosis. Usually this happens with the borderline state of the appendix, when it is inflamed or enlarged, but it does not have a clear picture that allows you to make an accurate diagnosis and send the patient for surgery.
Equally contradictory data can be obtained during the study of a person who is overweight or with a large amount of gas in the intestine. In such a situation, it is best to conduct computed tomography and refer the patient for additional tests. Thanks to an integrated approach in severe cases, it is possible to confirm or exclude the presence of appendicitis with confidence.
Will ultrasound show appendicitis? The answer is clear - yes, it will.