Appendicitis in Pregnancy: A report from Zaria, Nigeria.

Rate of negative appendectomy in pregnant women in Benin City, Nigeria

“…The majority of patients were in the 20‐ to 29‐year age group (mean 26.4 ± 3.98 years). This is similar to other reports that demonstrated that the disease is more common in the third decade of life 3,4,14 …”

“…The negative appendectomy rate in this study was 21.7%. This rate, though higher than a previous Nigerian report, 4 compares favorably with the negative appendectomy rate found in the review of the first 100 years of literature on appendicitis management and even more recent reviews 3,6,11,12 …”

“…Acute appendicitis is the commonest non‐obstetric surgical emergency seen in pregnancy 1 . It occurs throughout pregnancy, however it is seen more often in the second trimester 2–4 . The reported incidence varies widely; however, the largest study to date reports an incidence of 1 in 1440 pregnancies 1 .…”

“…In addition, more recent reviews have also suggested that because of overlap with normal pregnancy symptoms, a higher false positive rate (30%) is not only acceptable but necessary to avoid unacceptable delay, with the possibility of increased morbidity and mortality rates 6,12 . Therefore, negative appendectomy is considered safer than missed or delayed diagnosis 4 …”

“…1 It occurs throughout pregnancy, however it is seen more often in the second trimester. [2][3][4] The reported incidence varies widely; however, the largest study to date reports an incidence of 1 in 1440 pregnancies. 1 The significance of appendicitis in pregnancy is largely due to a tendency to late diagnosis, with increased risks of complications and associated maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality.…”