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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffYour doctor is likely to take your child's medical history and ask when and how signs and symptoms developed. In addition, your doctor may request laboratory tests to help pin down the diagnosis, including:
- Blood tests. Certain blood tests can help determine whether your child has an infection and what type of infection it is.
- Imaging studies. A computerized tomography (CT) scan of your child's abdomen can help differentiate between appendicitis and mesenteric lymphadenitis. Abdominal ultrasound also may be used.
References
- Leung AK, et al. Acute abdominal pain in children. American Family Physician. 2003;67(11):2321-2326.
- Vanyer K, et al. Mesenteric lymphadenopathy in children examined by US for chronic and/or recurrent abdominal pain. Pediatric Radiology. 2003;33(12): 864-867.
- Micari M, et al. Mesenteric adentitis: CT diagnosis of primary versus secondary causes, incidence, and clinical significance in pediatric and adult patients. American Journal of Roentgenology. 2002;178:853-858.
- Rathaus V, et al. Enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes in asymptomatic children: The value of the finding in various imaging modalities. The British Journal of Radiology. 2005;78(925):30-33.
- Boaz K. et al. Mesenteric lymph nodes in children: What is normal? Pediatric Radiology. 2005;35(8):774-777.
- Simanovksy N, et al. Importance of sonographic detection of enlarged abdominal lymph nodes in children. Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine. 2007;26(5):581-584.
