Family Physician, 1992;4:20-22.

Abstract

A retrospective study of 100 patients with acute right upper quadrant pain was performed in order to indicate the diagnostic role of ultrasound including the diagnostic role of ultrasound including guided percutaneous procedures in the evaluation of such cases at the General Hospital Kota Bharu (GH, KB). In the majority of these patients the leading clinical consideration was acute cholecystitis. In all the patients the initial sonographic diagnoses were compared with the final diagnoses. In 35 patients (35%) biliary pathology was diagnosed. In this group the conographic correlation was good. In 65 patients (65%) the symptoms were due to non-biliary pathology. In this group ultrasound detected the actual site of pathology in 28%. Ultrasonography which can image multiple organs rapidly is a useful initial screening procedure in patients presenting with acute right upper quadrant pain because it can detect the actual size of pathology in about two-thirds of the cases.