EP31.15: Diagnosis of appendicitis by transvaginal ultrasound examination

A 33-year-old woman presented at the emergency department with lower abdominal pain since one week. Her medical history was uneventful. Abdominal ultrasound could not detect any abnormality. The patient was referred for gynecological evaluation. Transvaginal ultrasound showed a typical ‘target sign’ right posterolateral of the uterus, suggesting appendicitis. These findings were confirmed on CT-scan, and the patient underwent a laparoscopic appendectomy. We present the typical target sign on ultrasound imaging alongside the correlates on CT-scan as well as on macroscopic and microscopic anatomopathological examination. Appendicitis is a frequent cause of abdominal pain. Symptoms may be atypical and the appendix can sometimes not be visualised by abdominal ultrasound examination. This case report indicates the important role a gynecologist may have in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain. As gynecologists we must keep a high degree of suspicion for non-gynecological findings. This case report illustrates the value of transvaginal ultrasound scan in diagnosing appendicitis. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.