Abdominal Ultrasound and its diagnostic accuracy in diagnosing Acute
Appendicitis: A Meta-Analysis
Abstract
Background: Acute appendicitis (AA) is a common cause for abdominal pain
encountering unnecessary surgeries in emergency departments. The present
meta-analysis aims to assess the accuracy of abdominal ultrasound in
suspected acute appendicitis cases in terms of sensitivity, specificity,
and post-test odds for positive and negative results. Materials and
Methods: An extensive and systematic search was conducted in Medline
(via PubMed), Cinahl (via Ebsco), Scopus, and Web of Sciences from 2010
till the end of March 2021. Two authors analyzed studies for inclusion,
collected results, and conducted analyses separately. The
histopathological study on tissue collected during appendectomy served
as the gold standard for determining the final diagnosis. The accuracy
was determined by evaluating sensitivity, specificity, positive
predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), diagnostic odds
ratio. Results: Out of 3193 references, a total of 18 studies were
selected. Overall sensitivity of 77.2% (95 % CI – 75.4 – 78.9%) and
specificity of 60% (95 % CI – 58% – 62%) were observed. The
diagnostic odds ratio of 6.88(95 % CI 1.99 – 23.82) was obtained.
Conclusion: Abdominal ultrasound shows significant accuracy of diagnosis
in patients with suspected acute appendicitis.