Neonatal and Infant Appendicitis

Christina M Bence; John C Densmore

doi:10.1016/j.clp.2019.10.004

Neonatal and Infant Appendicitis

Clin Perinatol. 2020 Mar;47(1):183-196. doi: 10.1016/j.clp.2019.10.004. Epub 2019 Oct 17.

Authors

Christina M Bence¹, John C Densmore²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Pediatric Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, 999 North 92nd Street, Suite CCC320, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA. Electronic address: cbence@mcw.edu.
² Division of Pediatric Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, 999 North 92nd Street, Suite CCC320, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.

PMID: 32000925
DOI: 10.1016/j.clp.2019.10.004

Abstract

Neonatal appendicitis is a rare disease with a high mortality rate. Appendicitis is difficult to diagnose in neonatal and infant populations because it mimics other more common conditions in these age groups. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of appendicitis are often nonspecific in nonverbal patients and a high index of suspicion is necessary to initiate the appropriate diagnostic work-up. The keys to successful management of appendicitis in infants include keeping the diagnosis on the differential in the setting of unexplained intra-abdominal sepsis, following a diagnostic algorithm in the work-up of infant abdominal pathology, and performing appendectomy once the diagnosis is confirmed.

Keywords: Amyand hernia; Appendicitis; Infant; Necrotizing enterocolitis; Neonatal; Perforation.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Appendectomy
Appendicitis / congenital*
Appendicitis / diagnosis*
Appendicitis / surgery
Diagnosis, Differential
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Intestinal Perforation / congenital
Intestinal Perforation / diagnosis
Intestinal Perforation / surgery
Rare Diseases / congenital*
Rare Diseases / diagnosis*
Rare Diseases / surgery
Risk Factors