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Query: UMLS:C0085693 (acute appendicitis)
 3,606 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

There have been several reports of "barium-induced" appendicitis in the literature. When confronted with a possible case of this phenomenon, a review of the literature on the subject was carried out. The suggestion is made that there is no evidence to support a cause-effect relationship between barium retained in the appendix and appendicitis. Diseased appendices can be marked by retained barium and a higher likelihood may then exist for the subsequent development of appendicitis. Following the finding of prolonged retention of barium after contrast study, it is recommended that the patient be instructed as to the possibility of developing symptoms of acute appendicitis. Patients who present with symptoms of appendicitis should be questioned as to history of recent barium study, and x-rays should be reviewed with the possibility of finding appendoliths.
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PMID:Appendicitis associated with recent barium study. 37 75

The value of barium enema examination in diagnosing acute appendicitis in patients with equivocal findings has been confirmed by our experience with five patients. Cecal spasm, extrinsic compression of the cecum, nonvisualization of the appendix, and partial visualization of the appendix appear to be useful roentgenographic signs, either singly or in combination, in diagnosing acute appendicitis. We have had absolute pathologic correlation between the barium enema findings andthe subsequent clinical course of all the patients in whom we conducted this examination. When performed by an experienced radiologist, the barium enema examination carries no increased risk, and we have seen no complications from this procedure.
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PMID:Use of the barium enema in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis and its complications. 50

An instance of acute appendicitis in a child associated with prolonged retention of barium by the appendix and formation of a barolith was presented. Previous reports have implicated barium in the etiology of appendicitis and suggest routine roentgenographic follow-up of all cases in which barium enters the appendix. Considering the frequency of this observation and the lack of an established relationship between prolonged retention of barium and appendicitis, this suggestion seems unwarranted.
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PMID:Acute appendicitis in a child associated with prolonged appendiceal retention of barium (barium appendicitis). 62 9

Twenty patients with chronic pain in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen were reviewed as to preoperative findings and pathologic findings at laparotomy. Eleven of the 20 patients had acute appendicitis, and 13 of the 20 had some appendiceal problem. The white blood count was not reliable in diagnosing this, as eight of the 11 of those with acute appendicitis had a normal white blood count. Barium enema examination was performed in ten of the 13 with disease, and abnormalities were noted in nine of the ten, an indication of a high degree of reliability of this examination. Long term follow-up study revealed that 17 of the patients in the study gained complete relief of symptoms after appendectomy.
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PMID:Chronic appendicitis. 63 51

Diagnostic barium enema is not a substitution for well executed physical examination, and its use should be reserved only for obscure situations. An abnormal roentgenogram provides valuable information, since the fear of missing acute appendicitis in these children is minimized. When normal, this diagnostic test may bring to early operation those with minimal symptoms or unusual presentations, thus avoiding the possibility of prolonged observation and perforation. In children with known associated severe medical maladies, diagnostic barium enema can serve to reaffirm the diagnosis prior to the hazardous operative intervention. It may also eliminate the need for operation in those conditions which mimic acute appendicitis. The use of diagnostic barium enema in the past three and a half years significantly improved our diagnostic capabilities in children with abdominal pain. There was a corresponding reduction in the number of normal appendixes removed. The efficancy and, above all, the safety of this procedure make it a valuable diagnostic aid in the care of children.
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PMID:Barium enema as a diagnostic aid in children with abdominal pain. 84 51

Contrary to popular belief, the barium enema is a safe diagnostic tool in the management of acute appendicitis. This is a survey of our experience over three years with 489 cases of suspected acute appendicitis. Two hundred eighteen barium enema examinations were done. The barium enema has a high degree of pathological correlation (97.14%). It has reduced negative surgical exploration in women between 11 and 40 years of age. This group traditionally represents the greatest diagnostic challenge in appendicitis. As a result, our negative exploration rate has been reduced to a figure below the average for this disease. We recommend its performance in all patients who pose a diagnostic dilemma.
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PMID:The value of the barium enema in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. 84 64

Many articles published in the medical literature have stated that a normal-appearing appendix as seen via contrast enema is inconsistent with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. This assumes that appendicitis is always associated with complete luminal obstruction of the appendix, and that the length of the normal appendix is known to the interpreter of the x-ray examination. Retrospective analysis of the barium contrast studies of three patients found to have acute appendicitis demonstrated the limitations of this hypothesis. These patients were diagnosed as having acute appendicitis at operation in spite of radiologic evidence of normal-appearing appendices. We review radiologic findings that can be helpful in recognizing this condition and discuss the severe limitations of barium contrast studies in making an accurate diagnosis.
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PMID:Radiologic diagnosis of appendicitis. 86 Sep 23

The barium enema examination is a safe technique for the prompt and accurate diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Properly performed and correctly interpreted, the examination can serve as a valuable tool for the diagnosis or exclusion of acute appendicitis when this is not possible by clinical and laboratory procedures.
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PMID:Barium enema examination in acute appendicitis. 94 60

A patient over 40 years of age who complains of lower abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea or both, and increased flatulence should be suspected of having diverticulosis. When pain becomes more severe and persistent, diverticulitis must be considered. Diagnosis depends on roentgen demonstration of the presence of diverticula. Sigmoidoscopy and barium enema study are essential to exclude coexisting disease but in diverticulitis may need to be postponed until severe local and systemic signs of inflammation have subsided. A number of diseases can simulate diverticulitis, and differential diagnosis may present considerable difficulty. Irritable colon syndrome and acute appendicitis may be indistinguishable clinically from diverticulitis. Differentiation from carcinoma is usually not difficult, but exclusion of coexistent carcinoma may be impossible except by resection. Ulcerative colitis is also easily distinguished except when, rarely, it coexists. Crohn's disease of the colon is less easily differentiated, especially in patients over 40, in whom the two diseases often coexist. Other colonic diseases, such as ischemic colitis, and pelvic inflammatory diseases usually show characteristic features which make them readily distinguishable from diverticulitis.
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PMID:Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of colonic diverticulitis. 103 35

Chest and abdominal radiograms are most helpful in evaluating acute abdominal pain in children. When basilar pneumonia is found the likelihood of associated appendicitis is slim. Evidence of appendicolithiasis on abdominal films secures the diagnosis of acute appendicitis and should prompt the surgeon to early operative intervention, since the threat of appendiceal perforation is great. Barium enema is safe and informative when obscure clinical presentation or associated illness exists. The likelihood of appendicitis is great when the appendix fails to fill at the time of barium enema. Complete filling of the appendix excludes the possibility of acute appendicitis.
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PMID:Radiologic aids in the diagnosis of appendicitis in children. 118 26


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