Does MRI Accurately Assess Appendicitis in Pregnant Women?

A meta-analysis found high sensitivity and specificity but there was substantial heterogeneity among studies.

In pregnant patients with possible appendicitis ultrasound is often nondiagnostic and avoidance of the radiation associated with computed tomography scanning is preferred. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be an option, but there is limited evidence regarding its diagnostic accuracy in this scenario.

These researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of blinded studies that compared MRI to surgical or pathologic gold standards in pregnant patients with suspected appendicitis. Nineteen studies (16 retrospective) including a total of 2400 patients were selected for the analysis. The risk of bias in the selected studies was generally low. The pooled sensitivity of MRI for appendicitis was 91.8% and specificity was 97.9%. Heter…

Reviewing Author

Benton R. Hunter, MD

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Chair, Evidence Based Healthcare Interest Group)

Benton R. Hunter, MD

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Chair, Evidence Based Healthcare Interest Group)

Does MRI Accurately Assess Appendicitis in Pregnant Women?

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Reviewing Author