Epiploic appendagitis: 7-year experience and relationship with visceral obesity

Type Article

Journal Article

Authors

J. P. Nugent; H. A. Ouellette; D. P. O’Leary; F. Khosa; S. Nicolaou; P. D. McLaughlin

Year of publication

2018

Publication/Journal

Abdominal Radiology

Volume

43

Issue

7

Pages

1552-1557

Abstract

Purpose: Location, size, and local inflammatory findings in primary epiploic appendagitis (EA) have not been reported outside of small studies. The association between EA and increased adiposity is controversial. The goals of this project are to compare demographics and imaging-based measurements of adiposity between patients with EA and patients with acute abdomen without EA, and to identify CT features of EA. Methods: A consecutive sample of acute, primary EA (n = 100), and control (acute abdomen; n = 100) was selected retrospectively. Cases of suspected EA were included if they had the characteristic ovoid fatty mass and hyperattenuated ring sign on CT. Abdominal adipose volume (AAV), visceral adipose area (VAA), and subcutaneous adipose area (SAA) were quantified by CT. Location, size, and frequency of coexisting local inflammatory findings in EA patients were recorded. Results: EA had 60% greater AAV, 117% greater VAA, and 35% greater SAA than control subjects (p