Appendiceal Diverticulitis Presenting as Acute Appendicitis and Diagnosed After Appendectomy

IntroductionDiverticula of the appendix is a rare entity, may be complicated by inflammation/infection, and clinically mimics acute appendicitis. The reported associated risk factors include male gender, Hirschprung's disease, cystic fibrosis and adult age, where some reports claim that they are also associated with an increased risk of appendiceal malignancy. Imaging has a place in pre-operative diagnosis, however, most of the cases were diagnosed during a pathological examination after surgery. They are associated with a higher rate of perforation (more than four times compared with classical acute appendicitis). In this review, we present a case series of five patients diagnosed with diverticulitis and one with diverticulosis of the appendix that were managed at a single centre. Our aim is to explore the common clinical, radiological, and intra-operative findings associated with this disease as well as the outcome of management. Materials and methodsA total number of six cases of diverticular disease of the appendix diagnosed and managed at Basildon University hospital in the period between 2016 and 2020 were studied. The demographic details and clinical data including presenting symptoms, laboratory results, radiological characteristics, intraoperative findings and histopathological features were analysed. ResultsThe study group included four males and two females, with an age range of 20-84 years. The most common presenting clinical symptoms were right iliac fossa abdominal pain, nausea, anorexia, and diarrhoea. Half of the cases showed a thickened appendix in the pre-operative CT scan. An inflamed or perforated appendix was seen in five cases as well as inflammation of the diverticula. ConclusionAppendiceal diverticulitis is an uncommon pathology that imitates acute appendicitis, and appendicectomy is the standard treatment. Prophylactic appendicectomy is recommended for non-inflamed diverticula -this is due to the potential risk of inflammation, perforation, and the risk of developing an appendiceal neoplasm.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diverticulitis and Diverticulosis of the Appendix: A Case Series

Lesi¹,

Probert²,

Iqbal³

et al. 2022

“…This evolution has seen the shift from diagnosis based purely on clinical features [ 5 , 6 ], to the inclusion of laboratory investigations [ 7 - 9 ], and lately confirmatory medical imaging techniques [ 10 , 11 ]. Furthermore, histological assessment of the excised appendix has now become imperative as there are other disease conditions that may mimic acute appendicitis such as mucocele and carcinoid tumor of the appendix, chronic granulomatous infections, actinomycosis, endometriosis, lymphoma, and helminthiasis [ 12 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Acute appendicitis has been reported as the most common reason for appendicectomy in Northern Saudi Arabia [ 20 ]. Evidence shows that intra-operative normal appendices may have an unusual incidental result at pathological evaluation, and the practice of routine pathological examination of appendectomy specimens varies between centers [ 12 , 21 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical, Radiological and Pathological Appraisal of Acute Appendicitis in Al Qassim, Saudi Arabia: A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis

Alnuaymah¹,

Etonyeaku²,

Alsaeed³

et al. 2022

BackgroundAcute appendicitis can occur at any age but is rare among people of extreme age; it is more common in teenagers and young adults. Traditionally diagnosis is made on clinical grounds. In recent times imaging techniques have been deployed to improve diagnosis and reduce negative appendicectomy rates. The aim of the study was to describe the common clinical features of acute appendicitis among our patients, highlight the role of medical imaging, and compare all these with the histological report of the excised appendix. MethodsA 24-months retrospective review of all patients who underwent appendicectomy (July 1, 2019-June 30, 2021) for suspected acute appendicitis was performed. Medical records numbers of patients who had appendicectomies were retrieved from the operating room register. These numbers were used to access the hospital's electronic medical records database for the patients' records. These records were reviewed for biodata, clinical features, laboratory, medical imaging findings, and histological reports. ResultIn this hospital, 354 appendicectomies were performed. Only 336 had complete data set suitable for further review. There were more males (N=257; 76.5%) than females (N=79, 23.5%), yielding a male to female ratio of 4:1. There were also more Saudi citizens (n=266, 79.2%), with the predominant age group being 11-30 years. Abdominal pain was the predominant symptom (100%) and was localized to the right iliac region in 331 (98.7%) of patients. Other symptoms recorded were anorexia (n=247, 73.5%), vomiting (n=190, 56.5%), and nausea (n=93, 27.7%). Atypical symptoms included diarrhoea (n=27, 8%) and constipation (n=12, 3.6%). Acute appendicitis, complicated appendicitis, and no appendicitis were the reported histological disposition in 174 (51.8%), 124 (36.9%), and 38 (11.3%) cases respectively. Abdominal CT scan had a higher sensitivity (98.6% vs 70.5%), higher diagnostic odd ratio (2.5 vs 1.4) and a lower miss (false negative) rate (1.4% vs 29.5%) compared to ultrasonography. However, the CT scan, from this study, has a rather low specificity (3.4%) and high false positive rates (96.5%). Open (n=205; 61%) and laparoscopic (n=131;39%) approaches were used for the appendicectomies. In our study, 44 patients were diagnosed with the decision to operate based on clinical grounds; and of this, 42 (95.4%; n=44) had confirmatory histology reports of appendicitis. Also, 38 patients had negative appendicectomy; giving a negative appendicectomy rate of 11.3%. This high rate may be due to the lower specificity and high false positive rate observed in this study. The postoperative complication rate was 21.4%, and this was solely due to surgical site infection, and this was more common with the open approach (p=0.001). ConclusionSuspected acute appendicitis was the sole indication for our appendicectomies. A computerized tomography scan was a more reliable diagnostic tool than ultrasonography. Despite the fact that acute appendicitis is majorly a clinical diagnosis, and good clinical acumen is an excelle...

“…Early diagnosis and management are crucial to improve morbidity and mortality [1]. The differential diagnosis of acute appendicitis includes a wide variety of medical and surgical conditions, which are well described in the Ergenç et al study [2]. Ergenç et al reported that diverticular disease of the appendix (DDA) has a similar presentation to acute appendicitis, and it is considered a rare pathology of the appendix [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Rare Complication of Perforated Appendicitis: A Case of Necrotizing Fasciitis

Suleimanov¹,

Alhanabi²,

Saeed³

et al. 2022

Acute appendicitis is considered one of the most common surgical emergencies with low morbidity and mortality. However, delay in the diagnosis may lead to perforation of the appendix. Hence, complications may arise, including necrotizing fasciitis, a rare complication of a perforated appendix. We present a case of perforated appendicitis complicated by necrotizing fasciitis leading to rapid deterioration.A 75-year-old male patient presented to our emergency room with a three-day history of right lower quadrant abdominal pain and abdominal distention. On admission, computed tomography (CT) scan showed a perforated appendix and peri-appendicular abscess. An exploratory laparotomy was performed. The appendix was resected and the wound closed. The patient was recovering well and tolerating food after the procedure. However, the patient developed progressive erythema/swelling over the right flank with newonset leukocytosis. The diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis was suspected and confirmed by careful evaluation and laboratory/radiological tests. Antibiotics were changed to clindamycin and piperacillin/tazobactam, and the patient was taken back to the operation room (OR) for surgical debridement. Postoperatively, the patient was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU). He developed hearing impairment, which improved after the cessation of clindamycin. He was discharged in good condition after three weeks of hospital stay. This case report highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for necrotizing soft tissue infection in immunocompromised patients with perforated appendicitis and being cautious when prescribing clindamycin to patients at risk of hearing loss.