Review of abdominal CT scans from 358 children imaged for non-appendicitis indications found a mean normal appendiceal diameter of 5.00±1.09 mm. Means increased from 4.22 mm in infants to 5.83 mm at ages 15-18 and were associated with age and body-surface area. Age-aware interpretation is warranted, but diameter alone does not diagnose appendicitis.
Key findings
- Mean diameter was 5.00±1.09 mm. Means by age 0-1, 1-5, 5-10, 10-15 and 15-18 years were 4.22, 4.35, 4.85, 5.54 and 5.83 mm, respectively. Age and body-surface area were positive predictors.
Why this matters globally
Reducing misclassification may prevent both unnecessary surgery and missed disease. Asian paediatric reference data remain limited, making these measurements valuable.
Thai researcher contribution
King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital and Chulalongkorn University researchers generated Thai paediatric reference measurements.
Limitations to consider
Children were clinically selected for CT and are not a healthy population. Non-appendicitis classification may be imperfect, inter-reader reliability is not reported, and the study does not justify additional paediatric CT radiation.