Finding the appendix on ultrasound webinar for sonographers
- Featuring
- March 17 2025
- Duration 42:28
It can be difficult and discouraging to locate the appendix using ultrasound. In this webinar, pediatric sonographer Harry Matlack shares tips and techniques on how to find it and offers ways to scan so that the radiologist feels confident in making a diagnosis. He talks through the importance of making a game plan before going into an exam; how he identifies parts of the anatomy using different scanning techniques; and the signs of appendicitis that he looks for.
At-a-glance:
- [05:40] What is the appendix and where you should look for it
- [16:00] Determining if the appendix is normal or not
- [25:28] Case study of a patient who may or may not have appendicitis
- [30:42] Details on protocols for finding and scanning the appendix on ultrasound
In this webinar, Matlack reviews what the appendix does and where you should look for it, including the anatomy you can expect to see in the area that can be confusing. He describes the appearance of a normal and abnormal appendix, which can help you determine if the patient has early-onset appendicitis, or if something else is going on, such as a perforated appendix.
Different scanning techniques and signs of appendicitis
If you’re struggling to see the appendix due to bile and gas clouding the view, there are maneuvers and positions that give you a better chance of finding it, as well as different scanning techniques that could help you locate it, including graded compression and posterior compression. He shows images that differentiate between the bowel in the RLQ and the appendix, for example. He also reviews secondary signs of appendicitis and shows examples of the kinds of images needed for the radiologist to make a diagnosis.
When to stop scanning
According to Matlack, many sonographers struggle with knowing if they’ve looked for the appendix long enough. He offers advice about switching to a curved probe and recommends taking eight key images to show the radiologist. In total, he says it should take 10-20 minutes to get the necessary images and to get an idea of whether there is an inflammatory process, even if you can’t find the appendix itself.