Magnetic Resonance of Acute Appendicitis: Pearls and Pitfalls

Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical abdominal emergency. Although the clinical diagnosis can be made accurately in typical cases, imaging plays an important role in improving diagnostic accuracy of this condition, especially when the clinical diagnosis is uncertain. Magnetic resonance imaging is an emerging promising technique for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, especially in patients with nondiagnostic ultrasound and in patients where radiation is a clinical concern. In the following review, the role of magnetic resonance in the diagnosis of appendicitis will be discussed.