TITLE:
Clinical, Ultrasound and Surgical Study of Acute Appendicitis at the Kalale Clinic in Bamako
AUTHORS:
Ouncoumba Diarra, Ousmane Traore, Mamadou Dembele, Alassane Kouma, Ousmane Coulibaly, Brahima Doumbia, Hama Ouologuem, Mahamadou Diallo, Adama Diaman Keita
KEYWORDS:
Acute Appendicitis, Ultrasound, Clinical Presentation, Surgical Correlation
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Medical Imaging,
Vol.16 No.3,
September
22,
2026
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Acute appendicitis is the acute inflammation of the ileocecal appendix. It is the most frequent abdominal surgical emergency. The aim of our study was to investigate the clinical, ultrasound, and surgical aspects of acute appendicitis. Methodology: This was a prospective, descriptive study conducted over 12 months on 51 cases in the radiology and medical imaging department of the KALALE Medical Clinic in Bamako. The parameters studied included sociodemographic, clinical, ultrasound, and therapeutic data. Results: The overall incidence was 0.425% of cases. The most represented age group was between 15 and 25 years. Males were the most represented sex, accounting for 66% of cases, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.94. Right iliac fossa pain was the most frequently observed clinical sign, present in 35.3% of cases. On ultrasound, the appendix was visible in 100% of cases, with a mean anteroposterior diameter of 10.237 mm and a mean wall thickness of 3.714 mm. The most sensitive indirect signs were appendiceal incompressibility and infiltration of the peri-appendiceal fat, which was found in 100% of patients. Ultrasound had diagnosed simple acute appendicitis in 42 patients, appendiceal abscess in 6 patients, peritonitis in 2 patients, and appendiceal phlegmon in 1 patient. Following surgical exploration, acute appendicitis was found in 37 patients, appendiceal abscess in 10 cases, appendiceal peritonitis in 2 patients, appendiceal phlegmon in 1 patient, and 1 case of tumor. Conclusion: Our study confirmed that ultrasound is a high-performing examination with high sensitivity and specificity. Comparison between the ultrasound image and the postoperative findings showed good agreement, particularly for the diagnosis of complicated forms, thus allowing for better surgical planning.