[Difficulties in diagnosing acute appendicitis in women]

Among acute diseases of the abdominal organs acute appendicitis is the most frequent cause of emergency laparotomies. In women the most frequent cause of preoperative diagnostic errors are diseases of the reproductive system. The material analysed by the authors was a group of 865 patients operated on with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in the I Department of Surgery in the period 1964-1973 and in the III Department of Surgery, Medical Academy in Cracow in the years 1974-1986. In this material from two teaching hospital departments and from two different time periods similar proportions of diagnostic errors (12.7% and 13.4%) were found, and during the operation similar types of pathological changes were noted in the reproductive system. The authors stress the analysed diagnostic difficulties and point out that exploratory laparotomy is safest for the patient.