Added value of graded compression ultrasound to the Alvarado score in cases of right iliac fossa pain

INTRODUCTION: Acute appendicitis is one of the most common emergencies treated by the general surgeon. Simple appendicitis can progress to perforation, which is associated with a much higher morbidity and mortality, and surgeons have therefore been inclined to operate when the diagnosis is probable rather than wait until it is certain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the Alvarado score combined with ultrasounds of the abdomen and pelvis in cases of right iliac fossa pain with suspected acute appendicitis. METHODS: 100 patients admitted to the Department of Surgery at Alexandria Main University Hospital in 2013 complaining of right iliac fossa pain with suspected acute appendicitis were studied prospectively. The demographic information, histopathology, physical examination, laboratory data, Alvarado score, sonography report and histopathological reports of these patients were gathered. The treating surgeon made decisions for surgery or conservative management without any intervention from the research team. RESULTS: A combination of methods showed that Alvarado alone was 100% sensitive in excluding appendicitis at scores below five and was highly specific at scores above eight (91.9%) with no added value when combining it with ultrasound in those scores. On the other hand, ultrasound was beneficial only in patients with Alvarado scores between five and eight for detecting appendicitis and not excluding it (increasing specificity to 100% and not affecting sensitivity). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound is a good adjuvant examination in cases with Alvarado scores between five and eight in order to diagnose appendicitis. Negative ultrasound results do not exclude appendicitis and further assessment by other modalities should be performed.