Eiji Oguma

Department of Radiology, Saitama Children’s Medical Center

　　This article provides a review of imaging features in important pediatric gastrointestinal disorders. Particular emphasis is given to acute appendicitis, because this is the most common surgical emergency in children and the diagnosis of acute appendicitis has given rise to much animated discussion. The use of CT in suspected appendicitis is increasing, but its risk of radiation exposure should not be ignored. Ultrasonography gives us a safe and inexpensive alternative means of diagnosis. Although operator dependency is a significant limitation of ultrasonography, precise understanding of sonographic features in acute appendicitis surely improves the diagnostic accuracy. This is not the time to throw away the ultrasonographic diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Keywords：Ultrasonography, Acute appendicitis