A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine.

A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. / CT abdomen and pelvis is a widely-used imaging modality used in the evaluation of appendicitis but it carries risks of radiation. A recent retrospective review localizes all appendices (both normal and abnormal) below the level of the L1 vertebral body, obviating the need to scan superior to that level. This study is a retrospective review of prospectively-collected data from 171 consecutive pediatric patients presenting with clinical suspicion of acute appendicitis and undergoing “low FOV CT.” The low FOV CT uses the L1 vertebral body as the superior aspect of the exam instead of the of the dome of the diaphragm as in standard CT.