Ultrasound diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis: real-time application and the demonstration of a new sonographic sign.

Abstract

The diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS), a common problem of infancy, is usually based on medical history. When the diagnosis is in question, a Ba upper gastrointestinal series has been the diagnostic imaging procedure of choice. Here, real-time ultrasound was used in 27 infants in whom pyloric stenosis was suspected. The published criteria for the ultrasound diagnosis of pyloric stenosis were used to evaluate the results. Fourteen examination were true-positive, 12 were true-negative and 1 was false-negative. The authors termed the hypertrophied muscle, which was demonstrated in longitudinal section, the ultrasonic cervix sign of HPS. Real-time ultrasound apparently is a simple and accurate method for the diagnosis of HPS and should be the initial imaging procedure.