Should Gangrenous Appendicitis Be Labeled as Complicated? An 8-year Single-Center Retrospective Review.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Gastroenterology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Gangrenous appendicitis is an intermediate condition between uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis.
• A retrospective review analyzed appendicitis cases over eight years at a single center.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the clinical presentation of gangrenous appendicitis in a pediatric population.
• To compare gangrenous appendicitis with uncomplicated and complicated forms.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of patient data including presentation, laboratory, surgical, and pathological findings.
• Logistic regression analysis to identify predictors of gangrenous and complicated appendicitis.

Main Results:

• Children with complicated appendicitis were younger and presented with more vomiting, diarrhea, and fever.
• Elevated white blood cell count, neutrophil count, and C-reactive protein were observed in complicated appendicitis.
• Vomiting and fever were more frequent in non-perforated gangrenous appendicitis compared to uncomplicated cases; laboratory findings were similar to complicated appendicitis.

Conclusions:

• Gangrenous appendicitis exhibits similar historical and laboratory characteristics to complicated appendicitis.
• Children with gangrenous appendicitis may not be ideal candidates for non-operative treatment strategies.