Utility of MRI after inconclusive ultrasound in pediatric patients with suspected appendicitis: retrospective review of 60 consecutive patients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to examine the utility of appendix MRI in evaluation of pediatric patients with right lower quadrant pain and inconclusive appendix sonography findings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A search of the radiology electronic database was performed for all appendix MRI examinations performed of pediatric patients within 24 hours after inconclusive appendix sonography from December 1, 2009, through April 26, 2012. Sixty patients underwent appendix MRI within 24 hours of inconclusive sonography and represented the study cohort. MRI examinations were reviewed independently by two radiologists blinded to the diagnosis and were graded as "positive," "negative," or "indeterminate" for acute appendicitis. The final diagnosis was established by review of the surgical and pathology reports and patients' electronic medical records.

RESULTS: Ten of 60 patients (17%) had acute appendicitis. Both readers graded the same 12 examinations as positive and the same 48 examinations as negative for acute appendicitis, with a kappa value of 1.00 (expected agreement, 0.695). No MRI examination was interpreted as indeterminate. The sensitivity and specificity of MRI for acute appendicitis in children with inconclusive appendix ultrasound findings were 100% (95% CI, 0.72-1.00) and 96% (95% CI, 0.87-0.98), respectively. The positive predictive value for the examination was 83%, the negative predictive value was 100%, and overall test accuracy was 97%.

CONCLUSION: Our study shows that MRI has a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 96% for appendicitis in pediatric patients after inconclusive appendix sonography. We think that MRI may supplant CT as the secondary modality to follow inconclusive appendix sonography.