The role of MRI for clinically suspected appendicitis during pregnancy

A 31 years female with approximately 20 weeks of gestation attends the emergency department of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) reporting pain in the lower abdomen radiating to the right iliac fossa. After clinical and laboratory examination, the clinical diagnosis of appendicitis was...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: André Luis Bergamaschi Zilio, Juliana Avila Duarte, Fabricio Bergelt Souza, Letícia Maffazzioli Santos
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre ; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) 2016-01-01
Series:Clinical and Biomedical Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/hcpa/article/view/58926
_version_ 1819135412684193792
author André Luis Bergamaschi Zilio
Juliana Avila Duarte
Fabricio Bergelt Souza
Letícia Maffazzioli Santos
author_facet André Luis Bergamaschi Zilio
Juliana Avila Duarte
Fabricio Bergelt Souza
Letícia Maffazzioli Santos
author_sort André Luis Bergamaschi Zilio
collection DOAJ
description A 31 years female with approximately 20 weeks of gestation attends the emergency department of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) reporting pain in the lower abdomen radiating to the right iliac fossa. After clinical and laboratory examination, the clinical diagnosis of appendicitis was suspected, and then performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen for diagnostic reasons. The MRI of the abdomen was performed and revealed signs of appendicitis. The intraoperative findings were purulent fluid in the right iliac fossa and appendix with necrotic appearance without signs of perforation. The pathological diagnosis was acute suppurative appendicitis, with periviscerite signals. In pregnant women the enlarged uterus can alter the position of the abdominal contentes and thus make sonography and clinical diagnosis more difficult. CT can be performed in such cases, but it involves a considerable amount of radiation. A typical dose for an abdominal CT examination is on the order of 10 mSv. The routine use of diagnostic CT for benign diseases, as in appendicitis, raises the question whether the diagnosis can be obtained by other radiologic means, especially in pregnant women and even more when the fetus is in the direct beam. The International Commission on Radiological Protection recently published a report on radiation and pregnancy. They recommended that if the expected dose for the fetus is high, one should question whether the diagnosis could be obtained without using ionizing radiation. MRI has been described as a valuable technique for the evaluation of patients with suspected acute appendicitis.
first_indexed 2024-12-22T10:18:41Z
format Article
id doaj.art-e33244ee8c8a451cbe7b11e82265524f
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 0101-5575
2357-9730
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-22T10:18:41Z
publishDate 2016-01-01
publisher Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre ; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
record_format Article
series Clinical and Biomedical Research
spelling doaj.art-e33244ee8c8a451cbe7b11e82265524f2022-12-21T18:29:41ZengHospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre ; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)Clinical and Biomedical Research0101-55752357-97302016-01-0135429368The role of MRI for clinically suspected appendicitis during pregnancyAndré Luis Bergamaschi Zilio0Juliana Avila Duarte1Fabricio Bergelt Souza2Letícia Maffazzioli SantosTomoclinica- CanoasHCPA Tomoclinica - CanoasHCPA Tomoclinica- CanoasA 31 years female with approximately 20 weeks of gestation attends the emergency department of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) reporting pain in the lower abdomen radiating to the right iliac fossa. After clinical and laboratory examination, the clinical diagnosis of appendicitis was suspected, and then performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen for diagnostic reasons. The MRI of the abdomen was performed and revealed signs of appendicitis. The intraoperative findings were purulent fluid in the right iliac fossa and appendix with necrotic appearance without signs of perforation. The pathological diagnosis was acute suppurative appendicitis, with periviscerite signals. In pregnant women the enlarged uterus can alter the position of the abdominal contentes and thus make sonography and clinical diagnosis more difficult. CT can be performed in such cases, but it involves a considerable amount of radiation. A typical dose for an abdominal CT examination is on the order of 10 mSv. The routine use of diagnostic CT for benign diseases, as in appendicitis, raises the question whether the diagnosis can be obtained by other radiologic means, especially in pregnant women and even more when the fetus is in the direct beam. The International Commission on Radiological Protection recently published a report on radiation and pregnancy. They recommended that if the expected dose for the fetus is high, one should question whether the diagnosis could be obtained without using ionizing radiation. MRI has been described as a valuable technique for the evaluation of patients with suspected acute appendicitis.http://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/hcpa/article/view/58926MRI, Pregnancy, Appendicitis
spellingShingle André Luis Bergamaschi Zilio
Juliana Avila Duarte
Fabricio Bergelt Souza
Letícia Maffazzioli Santos
The role of MRI for clinically suspected appendicitis during pregnancy
Clinical and Biomedical Research
MRI, Pregnancy, Appendicitis
title The role of MRI for clinically suspected appendicitis during pregnancy
title_full The role of MRI for clinically suspected appendicitis during pregnancy
title_fullStr The role of MRI for clinically suspected appendicitis during pregnancy
title_full_unstemmed The role of MRI for clinically suspected appendicitis during pregnancy
title_short The role of MRI for clinically suspected appendicitis during pregnancy
title_sort role of mri for clinically suspected appendicitis during pregnancy
topic MRI, Pregnancy, Appendicitis
url http://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/hcpa/article/view/58926
work_keys_str_mv AT andreluisbergamaschizilio theroleofmriforclinicallysuspectedappendicitisduringpregnancy
AT julianaaviladuarte theroleofmriforclinicallysuspectedappendicitisduringpregnancy
AT fabriciobergeltsouza theroleofmriforclinicallysuspectedappendicitisduringpregnancy
AT leticiamaffazziolisantos theroleofmriforclinicallysuspectedappendicitisduringpregnancy
AT andreluisbergamaschizilio roleofmriforclinicallysuspectedappendicitisduringpregnancy
AT julianaaviladuarte roleofmriforclinicallysuspectedappendicitisduringpregnancy
AT fabriciobergeltsouza roleofmriforclinicallysuspectedappendicitisduringpregnancy
AT leticiamaffazziolisantos roleofmriforclinicallysuspectedappendicitisduringpregnancy