Appendix Ultrasound

Acute appendicitis is the most common cause of acute surgical abdomen. Although the diagnosis is made through clinical signs and symptoms, images play an important role, especially in doubtful or suspected cases of non-appendicular abdominal pathology. Ultrasound is the first diagnostic tool and is widely available in medical centers, it is cheap, it does not have ionizing radiation and it does not require the administration of iodinated contrast media. However, there are technical factors that limit this study, such as the absence of fasting, the marked interposition of intestinal loops and the presence of an abundant adipose pad, since it attenuates the ultrasound, making the visualization of the appendix inaccessible for a proper diagnosis. Because of this, ultrasound should not be considered a first-line diagnostic tool in overweight and obese patients.