Effect of CT on False Positive Diagnosis of Appendicitis and Perforation

To the Editor: Acute appendicitis is one of the most common reasons for acute abdomen and the most common indication for emergency abdominal surgery in the United States. 1 Surgeons have traditionally accepted up to a 20% rate of false positive diagnosis of acute appendicitis in order to minimize morbidity associated with a missed diagnosis. In clinical practice, the reported rate of false positive diagnosis of appendicitis among women has been as high as 42%. 2 Several studies, 3 including our own, 4 have suggested that when used appropriately, preoperative computed tomography (CT) involving a variety of techniques improves outcomes in patients with clinically . . .