An Unusual Cause of Acute Appendicitis: Appendiceal Endometriosis

Overview

Journal Int J Surg Case Rep

Specialty General Surgery

Date 2012 Nov 6

PMID 23124069

Citations 13

Authors

Arif Emre

Sami Akbulut

Mehmet Yilmaz

Zehra Bozdag

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: While endometriosis is a common disorder in women of reproductive age, appendiceal endometriosis accounts for less than 1% of all pelvic endometriotic lesions. Appendiceal involvement may present as acute appendicitis and definitive diagnosis is made by only postoperative histological examination.

Presentation Of Case: In this study, we present two cases of female patients who underwent an appendectomy presumed diagnosis as acute appendicitis, and a histopathological examination of the retrieved specimen revealed appendiceal endometriosis.

Discussion: Endometriosis is defined as the presence of ectopic endometrial tissue outside the lining of the uterine cavity. Gastrointestinal endometriosis is observed in 3-37% of all endometriosis cases, whereas appendiceal endometriosis accounts for only about 3% of gastrointestinal endometriosis. Appendiceal endometriosis is usually asymptomatic, although it sometimes causes abdominal cramps, nausea, chronic pelvic pain, lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage, intussusception, perforation, or acute appendicitis.

Conclusion: Appendiceal endometriosis is an unusual histopathological finding. A preoperative diagnosis is difficult, but this condition should be considered when women of childbearing age present with clinical symptoms of acute appendicitis.

Citing Articles

Appendiceal Endometriosis: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

Allahqoli L, Mazidimoradi A, Momenimovahed Z, Gunther V, Ackermann J, Salehiniya H Diagnostics (Basel). 2023; 13(11).

PMID: 37296678 PMC: 10253163. DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13111827.

Emergent and unusual presentations of endometriosis: pearls and pitfalls.

Brookmeyer C, Fishman E, Sheth S Emerg Radiol. 2023; 30(3):377-385.

PMID: 37002452 DOI: 10.1007/s10140-023-02128-7.

Uncommon causes of acute appendicitis: Retrospective analysis of 6785 histopathological findings in a tertiary center.

Harman Kamali G, Ulusoy C, Nikolovski A, Egin S, Kamali S Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2022; 28(12):1708-1715.

PMID: 36453793 PMC: 10198309. DOI: 10.14744/tjtes.2022.84937.

Archimetrosis: the evolution of a disease and its extant presentation : Pathogenesis and pathophysiology of archimetrosis (uterine adenomyosis and endometriosis).

Leyendecker G, Wildt L, Laschke M, Mall G Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2022; 307(1):93-112.

PMID: 35596746 PMC: 9836992. DOI: 10.1007/s00404-022-06597-y.

Extragenital Endometriosis in the Differential Diagnosis of Non- Gynecological Diseases.

Lukac S, Schmid M, Pfister K, Janni W, Schaffler H, Dayan D Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2022; 119(20):361-367.

PMID: 35477509 PMC: 9472266. DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2022.0176.

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