Gangrenous Appendicitis in a Boy with Mobile Caecum

Suat Keskin1, Zeynep Keskin2, Metin Gunduz3

  • 1Department of Radiology, Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram School of Medicine, Konya, Turkey.

Insights

A rare congenital condition, mobile cecum and ascending colon, caused acute gangrenous appendicitis in a child. Computed tomography (CT) imaging proved crucial for diagnosis when ultrasound (US) was inconclusive.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Congenital Gastrointestinal Disorders
  • Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

  • Mobile cecum and ascending colon is a rare congenital anomaly.
  • Its presentation as an acute abdomen in childhood is exceptionally uncommon.

Observation:

  • A 6-year-old boy presented with symptoms suggestive of acute appendicitis.
  • Initial emergency ultrasound (US) failed to identify appendicitis in the typical right lower quadrant location.
  • Serial imaging, including non-enhanced computed tomography (CT), revealed epigastric appendicitis associated with a mobile cecum.

Findings:

  • The patient had a mobile cecum and ascending colon, with the cecum located in the right epigastric area.
  • A gangrenous appendix was identified posterior to the cecum and transverse colon, extending into the left upper quadrant.
  • Appendectomy was successfully performed, and the appendix was pathologically confirmed as gangrenous.

Implications:

  • Computed tomography (CT) is a valuable tool for diagnosing pediatric abdominal pain when initial ultrasound (US) findings are atypical or absent.
  • CT aids in accurately locating the cecum and appendix, preventing misdiagnosis in cases of mobile cecum and ascending colon.
  • Early and accurate diagnosis through advanced imaging is critical for timely surgical intervention in pediatric surgical emergencies.