Chronic appendicitis diagnosed preoperatively as an ovarian dermoid

Recurrent right lower quadrant pain in young women can be a diagnostic dilemma. Chronic appendicitis is often mistakenly excluded from the differential diagnosis. In the present case, pelvic inflammatory disease was diagnosed in a 19-year-old woman with bilateral lower abdominal pain (greater on the right than the left), fever, and elevated white blood cell count. She was treated with intravenous antibiotics until resolution of symptoms. The pain recurred 1 month later, and the patient presented to our emergency department. At that time, she was afebrile and all laboratory results were normal or negative, aside from an elevated white blood cell count. Computed tomography suggested a right ovarian dermoid. At laparoscopy, however, the right tube and ovary were normal, and chronic appendicitis was confirmed. Although computed tomography is often accurate for delineating the cause of pelvic abnormality, it also may be misleading.