Giant Appendicolith in Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Appendicitis: Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Right iliac fossa pain remains a challenge for clinicians, since it requires considering several differential diagnoses. Acute appendicitis continues to be one of the most important diagnoses to confirm or to rule out in acute abdominal pain, due to the associated morbidity and mortality. Currently, imaging studies contribute to increase diagnostic certainty, but sometimes reveal unexpected findings, which may further complicate the diagnosis and therapeutic decisions. We present the case of an unusual image finding in the right iliac fossa, a calcification suggestive of gallstone ileus, in the context of an acute abdomen with an unusual transoperative finding, whose definitive diagnosis by pathology, was also rare.