Magnetic resonance imaging reduces the rate of unnecessary operations in pregnant patients with suspected acute appendicitis: a retrospective study
Beatrice Lukenaite, Raminta Lukšaitė-Lukštė, Saulius Mikalauskas, Artūras Samuilis, Kęstutis Strupas, Tomas Poškus
Abstract
PURPOSE: This is a retrospective single-institution study performed to compare the rate of unnecessary operations in pregnant women with suspected acute appendicitis with and without the use of MRI. METHODS: The study subjects were all pregnant women with suspected acute appendicitis admitted to a tertiary institution from January 2012 to December 2019. If acute appendicitis was not excluded clinically and by ultrasound (US), laparoscopies were performed until May 2017 (US-only group). MRI was added as a diagnostic tool when US was inconclusive from May 2017 (US + MRI group). Surgery was considered unnecessary when no inflamed appendix was found. The rate of unnecessary surgery, postoperative complications, length of stay were analyzed. RESULTS: 3.7 ± 3.0 days, respectively; P < 0.001). The obstetric outcomes were not different between the groups. MRI had a sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 100% in the series. CONCLUSION: The rate of unnecessary surgery was significantly reduced in pregnant women, who underwent MRI after inconclusive transabdominal US.