Acute appendicitis complicated by a rare double appendix: a rare anatomical anomaly.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Anatomy
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Acute appendicitis is a frequent surgical emergency.
• Duplicate appendix is a rare congenital anomaly with an incidence of 0.004%-0.009%.
• Diagnosis of duplicate appendix is often challenging and typically occurs intraoperatively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a case of complicated acute appendicitis secondary to a duplicate appendix in an elderly patient.
• To highlight the diagnostic challenges and clinical implications of this rare anatomical variation.

Main Methods:

• Case report presentation.
• Review of relevant medical literature on duplicate appendix and appendicitis.

Main Results:

• The patient presented with symptoms of complicated acute appendicitis.
• Intraoperative findings revealed a duplicate appendix, with one appendix perforated and containing a faecolith, leading to an abscess.
• The patient underwent surgical management for the condition.

Conclusions:

• Duplicate appendix can lead to severe presentations of appendicitis, including perforation and abscess formation.
• This case underscores the importance of recognizing and identifying duplicate appendix as a critical anatomical anomaly in surgical practice.