Acute epiploic appendagitis: ultrasound and computed tomography findings of a rare case of acute abdominal pain and the role of other imaging techniques

Piero Trovato; Igino Simonetti; Francesco Verde; Pascal Lomoro; Giorgia Vinci; Luca Tarotto; Fabio Corvino; Antonio Corvino

doi:10.5114/pjr.2020.94335

Acute epiploic appendagitis: ultrasound and computed tomography findings of a rare case of acute abdominal pain and the role of other imaging techniques

Pol J Radiol. 2020 Apr 6:85:e178-e182. doi: 10.5114/pjr.2020.94335. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Piero Trovato¹, Igino Simonetti¹, Francesco Verde¹, Pascal Lomoro², Giorgia Vinci³, Luca Tarotto¹, Fabio Corvino⁴, Antonio Corvino⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
² Department of Radiology, Valduce Hospital, Como, Italy.
³ Department of Nephrology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.
⁴ Department of Interventional Radiology, AORN "A. Cardarelli", Naples, Italy.
⁵ Department of Motor Science and Wellness, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy.

Abstract

Purpose: Acute epiploic appendagitis (EA) is a relatively rare, benign and local inflammatory disease involving the epiploic appendices. Unlike its mimics, EA is generally a self-limiting inflammatory disease and can be treated conservatively.

Case presentation: A 33-year-old Caucasian man presented to our emergency department with a sever and sharp left iliac fossa pain. He underwent abdominal X-ray, ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) evaluations.

Conclusion: We illustrate US and CT findings to increase the radiologists' awareness of this condition and to avoid diagnostic delay and unnecessary use of antibiotics, hospitalization and surgery.

Keywords: abdominal pain; acute abdomen; computed tomography (CT); emergency radiology; epiploic appendagitis; ultrasound (US).

Publication types

Case Reports