A Rare Pathology Mimicing Acute Appendicitis; Epiploic Appendagitis

Abstract

Aim: Primary epiploic appendagitis (PEA) is an inflammatory disease occurs due to the torsion or spontaneous venous thrombosis of colonic epiploic appendages. Frequency of PEA is greater in the sigmoid colon, which is the place where appendix epiploica most commonly observed. Cecal PEA is seen rarely. PEA is actually a disease that can be cured by conservative treatment. However, cecal epiploic appendagitis is sometimes managed by surgical treatment because it mimics acute abdomen. Case Reports: Two epiploic appendagitis cases were reported in this article. These patients were presented to our emergency department with sign and symptoms of acute appendicitis. Surgical treatment was performed in both two patients, since epiploic appendagitis was not radiologically identified in either case preoperatively Conclusion: Surgery is not necessary in the treatment of epiploic appendagitis. A careful radiological examination, especially a computed tomography, would increase the correct diagnosis of epiploic appendagitis cases and provide an opportunity for conservative treatment. On the other hand, if cecal epiploic appendagitis can not be diagnosed preoperatively by the radiologist, surgery will be inevitable because it mimics acute appendicitis. Keywords Abstract ÖzetOlgu Sunumu / Case Report

An Acute Abdomen Dilemma: Epiploic Appendagitis

“…7,8 It appears as an oval, non-compressible and hypoecoic lesion in ultrasound imaging. 9,10 There is severe tenderness on the lesion location. CT reveals a lesion of lipid density along with inflammatory findings in the neighborhood of colon.…”