Open AccessAppendicitis in a 14-month-old infant with respiratory symptoms
Author(s) -
Giulia Brisighelli,
Anna Morandi,
Filippo Parolini,
Ernesto Leva
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
african journal of paediatric surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.163
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 0189-6725
pISSN - 0974-5998
DOI - 10.4103/0189-6725.99403
Subject(s) - medicine , appendicitis , abdominal pain , pediatrics , acute appendicitis , upper respiratory tract infection , respiratory tract infections , population , surgery , general surgery , respiratory system , environmental health
Although appendicitis is the condition that most commonly requires emergent abdominal surgery in the paediatric population, less than 2% of the disease occurs in infants and it is even more uncommon in neonates. In this report, we describe a rare case of a 14-month-old child presenting with abdominal pain first diagnosed with upper respiratory tract infection and then admitted to our Paediatric Surgery Department with a final diagnosis of acute appendicitis. A particular attention has to be kept on children presenting with an upper respiratory tract infection since symptoms can mask abdominal signs. Due to high morbidity and mortality rate related to a delayed diagnosis, appendicitis always has to be considered as a possible diagnosis, in order to ensure a prompt treatment.