Appendicitis in Neutropenic Pediatric Oncology Patients: A Case Series and Review of the Literature.

Appendicitis is the most common reason for which pediatric patients require emergent surgery. Although surgical removal of the appendix is the standard of care for appendicitis, neutropenic patients require special consideration as optimal management for these patients remains controversial. We present a case series of 3 neutropenic patients with appendicitis, all of whom were managed differently according to the circumstances unique to each case. By reviewing key articles in the literature, we explore the safety and efficacy of both medical and surgical management of neutropenic appendicitis and propose an algorithm to help guide decision making.