Rationale: Colonoscopy is a relatively safe and common procedure with low risks of complications, and acute appendicitis with perforation is an extremely rare complication of colonoscopy. The current study presents an unusual case of acute gangrenous appendicitis with perforation following a screening colonoscopy.
Patient Concerns: A 73-year-old man presented to our emergency department with lower right abdominal pain 3 days after a routine screening colonoscopy. On physical examination the patient had signs of generalized peritonitis. Abdominal and pelvic computed tomography (CT) revealed the presence of multiple free gas in the right subphrenic space and abdominal cavity with exudate effusions in both sides of the paracolic sulci and the pelvic cavity, especially around the ascending colon and caecum. The CT scan also showed a dilated and inflamed appendix with fecaliths.
Diagnoses: The patient was diagnosed with acute gangrenous appendicitis with perforation after colonoscopy.
Interventions: The patient underwent emergency exploratory laparotomy. Intraoperative findings revealed an inflamed gangrenous appendix with focal perforation and impacted fecaliths. The colon showed no evidence of perforation or other areas of concern and thus, a conclusive diagnosis was achieved. An appendectomy was performed and the abdominal cavity was rinsed and drained thoroughly.
Outcomes: The postoperative course was uneventful.
Lessons: This study may increase clinical awareness with regard to perforated appendicitis after colonoscopy. Acute appendicitis should be included in the differential diagnosis of lower right abdominal pain following a colonoscopy, in addition to possible colonic injury. Furthermore, emergency surgery should be recommended for the typical signs of perforation with peritonitis and free pneumoperitoneum. Early recognition and prompt surgical treatment are critical, which can avoid severe outcomes and improve the prognosis.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000008747 | DOI Listing |
Acta Clin Croat
December 2023
School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (student).
The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of patients presenting to the emergency room with acute appendicitis and subsequent results of surgical treatment. Our single center retrospective study was conducted in Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia. We analyzed data on the patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis, their duration of symptoms, length of hospital stay, histopathologic diagnosis, and operative techniques, recorded from September 1, 2019 to October 17, 2020.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Pediatr Surg
January 2025
McGill University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Canada; Harvey E. Beardmore Division of Pediatric Surgery, The Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Qc, Canada.
Purpose: This study evaluates the effectiveness of machine learning (ML) algorithms for improving the preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children, focusing on the accurate prediction of the severity of disease.
Methods: An anonymized clinical and operative dataset was retrieved from the medical records of children undergoing emergency appendectomy between 2014 and 2021. We developed an ML pipeline that pre-processed the dataset and developed algorithms to predict 5 appendicitis grades (1 - non-perforated, 2 - localized perforation, 3 - abscess, 4 - generalized peritonitis, and 5 - generalized peritonitis with abscess).
BMJ Open Qual
January 2025
Quality Improvement Coach, University Hospital of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
Ultrasound is a first-line and often preferred imaging modality in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. When the appendix is not visualised during a dedicated appendix ultrasound study, patients may require a CT study, which uses ionising radiation, or undergo conservative clinical observation with the inherent risk of clinical deterioration, perforation and sepsis. Median baseline data, at our hospital imaging department, revealed a rate of combined normal and abnormal appendix visualisation of 34.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
December 2024
Department of General Surgery, Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, Saifai, IND.
Enteroenteric fistula in the pediatric age group is an unusual presentation. It can create a diagnostic dilemma for the physician, particularly in the absence of any previous surgery, prolonged abdominal symptoms, or inflammatory bowel disease. The patient is a 10-year-old girl who presented with mild-grade fever, abdominal distension, scanty stool passage, and foul-smelling vomiting for the past 10 days.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Pediatr Surg
January 2025
Division of Pediatric Surgery, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Dept of General Surgery, UCSD School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA. Electronic address:
Background: There is no consensus on the appropriate duration of postoperative antibiotics for complicated appendicitis in children. Commonly used antibiotic endpoints include normalization of white blood cell count (WBC) or completion of a minimum number of prespecified treatment days. We compared clinical outcomes resulting from varying postoperative antibiotic protocols for complicated appendicitis in children.
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