Acute Appendicitis During Pregnancy: Different from the Nonpregnant State?

Background: Acute appendicitis is the most common nonobstetric indication for surgical intervention during pregnancy. However, the current literature is scarce and composed of relatively small case series. We aimed to compare the presentation, management, and surgical outcomes of presumed acute appendicitis between a contemporary cohort of pregnant women and nonpregnant women of reproductive age.

Methods: The study group included 92 pregnant patients who underwent appendectomy for presumed acute appendicitis at a single tertiary medical center in 2000-2014. Preoperative, operative, and postoperative clinical data were derived from medical records and compared to data for 494 nonpregnant patients of reproductive age who underwent appendectomy in 2004-2007 at the same institution.

Results: Median age was 28 years (range 25-33) in the study group and 26 years (range 20-34) in the control group (P = 0.1). There were no between-group differences in mean white blood cell count, patient interval, hospital interval, or operative time. Preoperative abdominal ultrasound was used in a significantly higher proportion of patients in the pregnant group than in the nonpregnant group (73 and 27 %, respectively, P < 0.001) and computed tomography, in a significantly lower proportion of patients (1 vs. 16 %, respectively, P < 0.001) . The two groups had similar rates of negative appendectomy (23 and 22 %, P = 0.9), complicated appendicitis (12 and 11 %, P = 0.9), and overall postoperative complications (15 and 12 %, P = 0.3).

Conclusions: The clinical presentation and outcome of presumed acute appendicitis are similar in pregnant women and nonpregnant women of reproductive age. Therefore, similar perioperative management algorithms may be applied in both patient populations.