Errors in Imaging of Non-traumatic Abdominal Emergencies

Radiologists play a key role in the work-up of non-traumatic abdominal emergencies. However, they can be prone to misdiagnoses, often for similar reasons as encountered in other clinical scenarios-broadly, perceptual and cognitive errors. Perceptual errors in this setting occur because of failure to identify one or more key features, including inflammation, extraluminal gas, fluid or blood, abnormal size or thickness of an anatomic structure, abnormal positioning of anatomic structures, or abnormal organ perfusion. Cognitive errors include incorrect understanding of a finding that is seen by the radiologist and therefore leads to incorrect final diagnosis. In this case-based review, we use a quadrant and organ-based approach to abdominal pathology, focusing on common causes of abdominal pain, such as cholecystitis, appendicitis, diverticulitis, and pancreatitis, as well as less common etiologies including neoplastic processes, to minimize inaccurate diagnosis.