Epiploic appendagitis (EA) is a rare and often misdiagnosed cause of acute abdominal pain. It is a benign and self-limited condition but mimics other underlying causes of acute abdominal pain like acute diverticulitis, acute appendicitis, acute cholecystitis, etc. Inaccurate diagnosis can lead to iatrogenic adverse outcomes. To the best of our knowledge, the present report represents the first case of bilateral EA involving both cecum and descending colon. The patient presented with symptoms of bilateral iliac fossa pain. Conservative management and close outpatient follow up resulted in a successful clinical outcome with no recurrence of symptoms. This article illustrates that clinicians and radiologists should include this etiology among differential diagnoses of patients presenting with acute abdominal pain, as it might prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, antibiotic therapy, and unwarranted surgical interventions.
Keywords: acute abdomen; acute appendicitis; acute diverticulitis; bilateral abdominal pain; case report; conservative management; epiploic appendagitis; literature review; role of diagnostic imaging; surgical exploration.
Copyright © 2020, Yousaf et al.