Pelvi –Abdominal Ultrasound Assessment of Pediatric Gastrointestinal Emergencies

Background: Non-traumatic gastrointestinal emergencies in Infants and children, and the presenting characteristics, ultrasound features on the longitudinal and axial axes, are a dilemma for paediatricians and radiologists in the emergency room. Aim and objectives: This study aimed to pelvi- abdominal assessment of gastrointestinal emergencies by ultrasound. Patients and Methods: This study included 50 patients who presented to emergency rooms with gastrointestinal emergencies at Al-Azhar University hospitals. Results: The mean age was 9.04±3.4 years, with 70% male and 30% female. Significant findings included a higher prevalence of portal vein gas sign (p=0.018), doughnut sign (p=0.001), and hypervascularization in mesenteric ultrasound (p=0.02) among cases of appendicitis, CHIPS, and intussusception. Other ultrasound signs, such as the target sign, abdominal fluid, loculated lower mass, fluid-filled bowel loops, pseudo-kidney appearance, sandwich sign, double track sign, enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes, and elongated pyloric canal, were not specific to any definitive pathology. Conclusion: Pelvi-Abdominal ultrasound as a bedside test in emergency room is important to distinguish between acute medical and acute surgical conditions . The most frequent medical emergencies are mesenteric adenitis .Mesenteric ultrasound features revealed a spectrum of findings,with hypervascularization of mesentery being the most prevalent , observed in 44% of cases across various pathologies.