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Concurrent appendicitis and ectopic pregnancy. A case report
John C Riggs1, Henry J Schiavello, Rivki Fixler
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, 374 Stockholm Street, Brooklyn, NY 11237, USA.
Background:
Ectopic pregnancy is infrequently encountered together with appendicitis. Since 1960, 21 such cases have been reported.
Case:
A 32-year-old, Hispanic woman presented with signs and symptoms of an acute surgical abdomen. Preoperatively, the diagnoses of both ectopic pregnancy and acute appendicitis were entertained. On surgical exploration, a ruptured appendix and an unruptured left-sided ectopic pregnancy were found.
Conclusion:
The possibility of multiple pathologic disorders should always be considered in a patient with an acute surgical abdomen, especially during pregnancy. Evidence exists of a possible association between ectopic pregnancy and appendicitis in terms of a common pathogenic mechanism.