Trauma to the appendix. A report of two cases.

Area of Science:

• Traumatology
• Surgical Case Reports

Background:

• Trauma to the vermiform appendix is an exceedingly rare clinical event.
• Existing English literature documents only two such cases prior to this report.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document two additional cases of appendiceal trauma.
• To highlight the rarity and presentation of traumatic appendiceal injury.

Main Methods:

• Case report of a penetrating abdominal trauma (bullet wound) with isolated appendix injury.
• Case report of blunt abdominal trauma resulting in avulsion of the appendix from its mesoappendix.

Main Results:

• The first patient sustained a tangential laceration of the appendix as the sole intra-abdominal injury from a penetrating bullet wound.
• The second patient experienced an avulsion of the appendix from the mesoappendix due to blunt abdominal trauma.
• Preoperative diagnosis of these specific traumatic appendiceal injuries was not achieved in either case.

Conclusions:

• Appendiceal trauma, though rare, can occur from both penetrating and blunt mechanisms.
• Diagnosis of traumatic appendiceal injury is challenging preoperatively.
• Appendectomy is a viable and successful treatment for traumatic appendiceal injuries.