Hyperechoic Periappendiceal Fat: Evaluation of Criteria for Improving Specificity in the Sonographic Diagnosis of Appendicitis in Pediatric Patients.

OBJECTIVES

To test the hypothesis that abutting and encasing types of hyperechoic periappendiceal fat are specific sonographic indicators of appendicitis in pediatric patients, including individuals with maximum outer diameters (MODs) of 6 to 8 mm in whom diagnosis by the MOD alone is known to be equivocal.

METHODS

Appendiceal sonograms of 271 consecutive pediatric patients were retrospectively evaluated for hyperechoic periappendiceal fat (globular, ≥1.0 cm; categorized as type 0, none; type 1, "abutting," encompassing <180° of the appendiceal circumference; or type 2, "encasing," encompassing 180° or more of the appendiceal circumference) and the MOD. Histopathologic and medical records constituted reference standards. Statistical methods included the binomial distribution, logistic regression, a receiver operating characteristic analysis, and the exact McNemar test.

RESULTS

All patients with hyperechoic fat and 105 of 107 patients with appendicitis had MODs of 6 mm or greater. The MOD and fat types 1 and 2 each were significantly associated with appendicitis in the univariable regression. The MOD and fat type 1 were independently associated with appendicitis in multivariable regression (odds ratio, 24.97; P = .034; and odds ratio, 5.35; P < .001, respectively). Specificities of an MOD of 6 to 8 mm and an MOD of 6 mm or greater alone were 89.0% (95% confidence interval, 83.2%-93.4%); these increased to 100.0% each (95% confidence interval, 97.8%-100.0%; P < .001) when combined with fat types 1, 2, and either 1 or 2 as diagnostic criteria, with positive predictive values of 100.0%.

CONCLUSIONS

Types 1 and 2 periappendiceal fat are specific indicators of appendicitis, and both improve specificity compared to the MOD. Importantly, they add specificity in diagnosing appendicitis in patients with diagnostically equivocal MODs of 6 to 8 mm.