[Appendicitis. Present-day diagnosis].

At times, making the diagnosis of acute appendicitis may pose a considerable problem. However, prompt and accurate diagnosis is essential to obtain minimal morbidity. Diagnostic mistakes result either in delayed initiation of adequate therapy or unnecessary operations. During the past years, a number of new strategies and diagnostic procedures have been developed and refined, including structured patient interview pathways, scoring systems, ultrasound, computed tomography, and diagnostic laparoscopy. This review summarizes the diagnostic performance of these modalities and discusses their clinical impact. It is apparent that in everyday practice, none of the technical modalities can replace the skill and precision of surgical exploration.