Rare Complications of Acute Appendicitis: A Case Report

Area of Science:

• Medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Appendicitis is a common condition with typically straightforward diagnosis and management.
• Late-stage complications of appendicitis are rare due to advancements in medical care.
• However, some complications can present insidiously, posing diagnostic challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report an extremely rare case of appendicitis with severe complications.
• To highlight the potential for indolent presentations of advanced appendicitis.
• To contribute to the limited literature on liver abscesses and septic thrombophlebitis secondary to appendicitis.

Main Methods:

• A case report of a 37-year-old male with a 12-day history of vague abdominal pain and cyclical fever.
• Initial laboratory workup showed mild liver enzyme elevation and neutrophilia.
• Cross-sectional imaging in the emergency department revealed multiple liver abscesses and septic thrombophlebitis.

Main Results:

• The patient presented with symptoms suggestive of a subacute process.
• Imaging confirmed extensive intra-abdominal pathology: liver abscesses and septic thrombophlebitis.
• These findings were directly attributed to a ruptured appendix.

Conclusions:

• Liver abscesses and septic thrombophlebitis are exceptionally rare complications of appendicitis.
• This case represents one of only three documented instances of this specific complication.
• The findings underscore the importance of considering rare complications even with seemingly common diseases.