Graded compression is a diagnostic ultrasound technique developed primarily for evaluating acute appendicitis. The sonographer places the transducer over the area of maximum tenderness and gradually applies increasing pressure to displace gas-filled and fluid-filled bowel loops, bringing the transducer closer to the deeper structures of interest, particularly the appendix. This technique takes advantage of the fact that normal bowel is compressible while an inflamed appendix is rigid and non-compressible. Graded compression ultrasound has become the preferred initial imaging study for suspected appendicitis in children and pregnant women because it provides accurate diagnosis without radiation exposure.
Sonography Term