Introduction: A case of fasciitis and septic shock complicating retrocecal appendicitis is presented.
Case report: A 52-year-old man presented to the Emergency Department with lumbar pain, fever of recent onset and subsequently developed septic shock attributed to fasciitis of abdominal, flank and groin region. On intensive care unit, he was managed with broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics and surgical debridement. An abdominal computed tomography scan confirmed the findings of fasciitis and was negative for intra-abdominal pathology. In the following days, an enterocutaneous fistula with foul smelling fluid was noted. A new surgical exploration revealed the presence of a ruptured retrocecal appendix, and right hemicolectomy was performed. The postoperative period was long but uneventful.
Conclusion: Retrocecal appendicitis can rarely be presented as deteriorating cellulitis-fasciitis in the right abdominal, flank or groin region, with or without abdominal symptoms.