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Appendicitis in children less than 5 years old: influence of age on presentation and outcome

Samiksha Bansal1, Gregory T Banever, Frederick M Karrer

  • 1Department of Pediatric Surgery, B323, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 East 16th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.

American Journal of Surgery
|December 13, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Appendicitis in children under five presents with advanced disease, particularly in infants. However, younger children show fewer postoperative abscesses, indicating age influences appendicitis outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Gastrointestinal Surgery

Background:

  • Appendicitis is a frequent pediatric surgical emergency.
  • Understanding appendicitis presentation in young children is crucial for timely diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the clinical presentation and outcomes of appendicitis in children under 5 years old.
  • To correlate age with appendicitis severity and postoperative complications in this demographic.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of pediatric appendectomy patients.
  • Inclusion criteria: children aged 6 months to 4.9 years undergoing appendectomy for acute appendicitis over a 12-year period.

Main Results:

  • Higher perforation rates observed in younger age groups (<1 year: 86%, 1-1.9 years: 74%).
  • Aged-based correlation found between appendicitis stage and perforation risk.
  • Youngest children (<5 years) experienced fewer postoperative abscesses despite advanced disease presentation.

Conclusions:

  • Age is a significant factor in appendicitis progression in children under five.
  • Younger children present with more advanced appendicitis but have a lower incidence of postoperative abscesses.
Abstract

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