Diagnostic efficacy, imaging characteristics, and detection accuracy of transabdominal superficial ultrasonography for various types of appendicitis.

Background: Appendicitis is an abdominal medical emergency and can be of various types. It can lead to a series of gastrointestinal symptoms and can affect health status. Therefore, attention should be paid to the diagnosis of appendicitis to improve prognosis.

Aim: To assess the value of transabdominal superficial ultrasonography (TASU) in the clinical diagnosis of various types of appendicitis.

Methods: A total of 100 patients suspected to have acute appendicitis that were admitted to our hospital between July 2022 and July 2024 were selected for this study. All of them underwent conventional abdominal ultrasonography and TASU. Taking surgical pathology as the gold standard, the diagnostic efficacy of the two ultrasonographic examinations was compared, and the ultrasonographic features of patients with different types of appendicitis were analyzed.

Results: Comparison with the gold standard showed that among the 100 patients suspected of appendicitis, 72 cases were diagnosed as appendicitis while 28 cases were deemed to be normal. Compared with conventional abdominal ultrasonography, TASU displayed a higher diagnostic efficiency (P < 0.05). Among the 72 patients with acute appendicitis, 22 cases were diagnosed as simple appendicitis, 26 cases as suppurative appendicitis, and 24 cases as gangrenous appendicitis. TASU was more effective in the diagnosis of the various types of appendicitis, and the difference was significant between groups (P < 0.05). Ultrasonography radiographs revealed an enlarged appendix with a tubular anechoic area, a widened lumen, with a visible occlusion or stercoral shadow and a cystic mass in the parenchyma.

Conclusion: TASU can accurately diagnose appendicitis and also be used to identify the various types of appendicitis, thereby having application value.