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Seizure along with gastroenteritis: An atypical manifestation of appendicitis- A case report
Khosrow Najjari1, Seyed Farzad Maroufi2, Lida Mohammadi1
1Sina Hospital, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
Appendicitis, a common cause of acute abdomen, can present atypically. This case highlights seizure as a rare manifestation, emphasizing the need to consider abdominal issues in undiagnosed seizures.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- Appendicitis is a frequent cause of acute abdominal pain in children.
- Diagnosis is typically straightforward due to characteristic symptoms.
- Atypical presentations, especially in younger children, are documented.
Observation:
- A young male presented with diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever, with a history of recent seizures.
- Initial diagnosis suggested viral encephalitis.
- Worsening condition led to further investigation, revealing perforated appendicitis.
Findings:
- Perforated appendicitis can manifest with symptoms mimicking gastroenteritis, including seizures.
- This case expands the spectrum of appendicitis presentations.
Implications:
- Seizures and loss of consciousness in patients without prior neurological history warrant consideration of underlying abdominal pathology.
- Early recognition of appendicitis, even with atypical symptoms like seizures, is crucial for timely intervention and improved outcomes.
Introduction And Importance:
Appendicitis is a common cause of acute abdomen in children. Due to its distinct clinical manifestations, often, its diagnosis is not very challenging. At younger age cases with atypical manifestations of appendicitis have been reported in the literature. In this study, we report seizure as another manifestation of appendicitis.
Case Presentation:
A young man presented to our clinic with diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and history of seizure in past few days. After para-clinical examinations, he was primarily diagnosed as case of viral encephalitis and referred to our center. As his condition worsened, further work-up were done and he was finally diagnosed as perforated appendicitis.
Conclusion:
Since perforated appendicitis could present with gastroenteritis accompanied by seizure, we believe in patients without a neurological history who present with seizures and loss of consciousness, abdominal problems must be considered.
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