Comparative Study Between Plain Abdominal X-Ray and Abdominal Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Abdominal Pathologies at the Bafoussam Regional Hospital Cameroon

Abstract

Abdominal pathologies pose serious health problems as many are associated with complications. Plain AXRs and Ultrasound are widely used for diagnosis. The use of plain abdominal x-rays has been greatly criticized. It is against such criticisms that this cross sectional and retrospective study was aimed at comparing the use of the above mentioned imaging modalities in the diagnosis of abdominal pathologies. To achieve this objective, data was collected from the patients who came for the two exams using questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS, version 17.0. Out of the 72 patients, there were more males, 49(68.1%) than females, 23(31.9%), giving a male to female ratio of 2:1. Acute abdomen (35.71%) was the major indication for the exam. The major clinical symptom was abdominal pain (100%) in all the 12 patients involved in the cross sectional study. 33(45.8%) patients had normal results on AXR while 39(54.17%) had abnormal results. Comparing with ultrasound, 20(27.78%) results were normal and 52(72.22%) results were abnormal giving sensitivities of 54.17% and 72.22% for AXR and ultrasound respectively. GIT pathologies in US registered 35(67.37%) cases while abdominal x-ray recorded 29(76.92%) cases. Conclusively, US is more efficient in the diagnosis of abdominal pathologies than AXR. However, the use of AXR in bowel obstruction, perforation, renal stones will improve US diagnosis. Therefore, the two imaging modalities should be used complimentarily.