A 7-year-old child presents with recurrent attacks of abdominal pain for the last 2 weeks, decreased appetite and general weakness. On examination, she looks ill. Abdominal palpati... A 7-year-old child presents with recurrent attacks of abdominal pain for the last 2 weeks, decreased appetite and general weakness. On examination, she looks ill. Abdominal palpation detected a tender mass located in the right lower quadrant, it was confirmed by rectal examination. Complete blood count shows leukocytosis. Blood pressure 90/60, heart rate 100/min, temperature 37.5° C. Which of the following investigations is most likely to confirm the diagnosis? A. Abdominal ultrasound. B. Plain abdomen X ray C. Abdominal CT scan! D. Barium enema Read more

Understand the Problem

The question describes a 7-year-old child with symptoms suggestive of an abdominal mass, likely requiring imaging for diagnosis. The question asks which investigation is the most appropriate to confirm the diagnosis given the clinical presentation and vital signs.

More Information

An abdominal CT scan can provide detailed images of the abdominal organs and detect abnormalities such as appendicitis, intussusception, or tumors. This information is helpful for diagnosis and treatment planning.

Tips

A common mistake is to choose Abdominal Ultrasound as the answer. While ultrasound is a useful imaging technique, CT scan is more helpful in this case.

Sources

• A 7-Year-Old Boy With Recurring Episodes of Abdominal Pain - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• Question Sets and Answers - PMC - PubMed Central - pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov