Open AccessA rare and fatal cause of right iliac fossa pain—When retroperitoneal necrotizing fasciitis masquerades as acute appendicitis: A case report and review of recent reported cases
Author(s) -
Chan Jing Jing,
Sheth Sujata Kirtikant
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
hong kong journal of emergency medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.145
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 2309-5407
pISSN - 1024-9079
DOI - 10.1177/1024907918755176
Subject(s) - medicine , fasciitis , emergency department , presentation (obstetrics) , computed tomography , iliac fossa , acute appendicitis , surgery , surgical emergency , abscess , radiology , appendicitis , general surgery , psychiatry
Retroperitoneal necrotizing fasciitis is an uncommon, rapidly fatal condition which often mimics other diseases. Case presentation: We report a case of an elderly woman who was referred to our Emergency Department for suspected acute appendicitis. Computed tomography scan showed an iliopsoas abscess with necrotizing fasciitis on computed tomography scan. Despite aggressive surgical treatment and early antibiotics, she passed away 3 weeks later. Conclusion: Such a case has rarely been reported in an immunocompetent patient who has had no instrumentation, surgeries, or trauma. It serves to highlight the difficulty in diagnosing retroperitoneal necrotizing fasciitis, especially in the elderly patient, as well as the need to recognize it early in the Emergency Department.