| The Benefit of Added Coronal Reformation Images in the MDCT Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis for Emergency Physicians |
| Jeong Ho Park, Chun Song Youn, Jung Hee Wee, Ji Hoon Kim, Yung Min Kim, Seung Pill Choi, Kyu Nam Park, Han Joon Kim |
| Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea. hanjoon@catholic.ac.kr |
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| ABSTRACT |
PURPOSE:
We compared diagnostic accuracy using transverse scans and combined transverse and coronal reformation images in the MDCT diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
METHODS:
MDCT was performed in 100 patients with acute non-traumatic abdominal pain who visited the emergency department. One half was diagnosed acute appendicitis by radiologic and histologic findings and the other half was not. Transverse scan and combined transverse and coronal reformation images were interpreted by six emergency physicians. Emergency physicians included two board physicians, two senior residents, and two junior residents.
For comparison of diagnostic value, the chi-square test and cross tabs test were done.
RESULTS:
For all emergency physicians except one senior resident, the added coronal reformation images tended to increase the diagnostic accuracy. For board physicians, it increased the diagnostic accuracy from 81.5% to 91% (p=0.003). Senior residents increased from 82.5% to 91.5% (p=0.005), junior residents increased from 75.5% to 87% (p=0.002). The diagnostic accuracy of board physicians and senior residents were higher than junior residents for both image types.
CONCLUSION:
Coronal reformation images improve the accuracy of emergency physicians in the MDCT diagnosis of acute appendicitis. |
| Key words:
Appendicitis, Computed tomography, Image processing |
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