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Acute yersiniosis and its surgical significance
Southern Medical Journal
|December 1, 1984
Abstract:
During early 1982, an outbreak of yersiniosis occurred in northern Mississippi. Abdominal pain suggestive of appendicitis was a common manifestation, but laparotomy revealed mesenteric adenitis. Yersinia enteritis should enter the differential diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
Insights
An outbreak of yersiniosis in Mississippi mimicked appendicitis. Laparotomy revealed mesenteric adenitis, suggesting Yersinia enteritis should be considered in appendicitis diagnoses.
Area of Science:
- Medical microbiology
- Gastroenterology
- Infectious disease epidemiology
Background:
- An outbreak of yersiniosis occurred in northern Mississippi in early 1982.
- Yersiniosis is an infection caused by bacteria of the genus Yersinia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the clinical presentation of yersiniosis during an outbreak.
- To emphasize the importance of considering Yersinia enteritis in the differential diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
Main Methods:
- Clinical observation during a yersiniosis outbreak.
- Surgical assessment (laparotomy) of patients presenting with abdominal pain.
Main Results:
- Abdominal pain, a common symptom, was initially suggestive of appendicitis.
- Laparotomy revealed mesenteric adenitis, not appendicitis, in affected patients.
Conclusions:
- Yersinia enteritis can present with symptoms mimicking acute appendicitis.
- Mesenteric adenitis due to Yersinia infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of appendicitis, especially during outbreaks.