ACR Appropriateness Criteria ® Right Lower Quadrant Pain-Suspected Appendicitis

Appendicitis remains the most common surgical pathology responsible for right lower quadrant (RLQ) abdominal pain presenting to emergency departments in the United States, where the incidence continues to increase. Appropriate imaging in the diagnosis of appendicitis has resulted in decreased negative appendectomy rate from as high as 25% to approximately 1% to 3%. Contrast-enhanced CT remains the primary and most appropriate imaging modality to evaluate this patient population. MRI is approaching CT in  sensitivity and specificity as this technology becomes more widely available and utilization increases.
Source: Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Appropriate use criteria Source Type: research