A "fruitful" cause of acute appendicitis

Tunis Med. 2023 Jun 5;101(6):585-587.

Abstract

Introduction: Acute appendicitis is a common health problem mainly due to a lumen obstruction. The obstruction is mainly due to fecal material, lymphoid hyperplasia or parasites. Foreign bodies and especially seeds have been rarely reported as causes of acute appendicitis and account for less than 1% of the different causes.

Case report: The authors described a rare case of acute appendicitis caused by seed and causing diagnostic challenge with the most frequent parasites observed in the appendix lumen. Different arguments were gathered to rule out enterobius vermicularis, taenia species, ascaris infection or schistosomiasis.

Conclusion: Seed-caused-appendicitis has to be known and identified by pathologists in order to avoid the diagnosis of parasites infection which may induce an overuse of antibiotics after the appendectomy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Appendectomy
  • Appendicitis* / diagnosis
  • Appendicitis* / etiology
  • Appendicitis* / surgery
  • Appendix* / surgery
  • Enterobiasis* / diagnosis
  • Enterobiasis* / parasitology
  • Enterobiasis* / surgery
  • Humans
  • Retrospective Studies