Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

When it's not appendicitis

V Velanovich1, M A Harkabus, F V Tapia

  • 1Division of General Surgery, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, USA.

The American Surgeon
|February 11, 1998
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Open ventral hernia repair with a composite ventral patch - final results of a multicenter prospective study.

BMC surgery·2019
Same author

Trial & Guidelines.

Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery·2015
Same author

Quality of life convergence of laparoscopic and open anti-reflux surgery for gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Diseases of the esophagus : official journal of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus·2007
Same author

The use of tissue sealant to prevent fistula formation after laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy.

Surgical endoscopy·2007
Same author

The development of the GERD-HRQL symptom severity instrument.

Diseases of the esophagus : official journal of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus·2007
Same author

Endoscopic endoluminal radiofrequency ablation of Barrett's esophagus in patients with fundoplications.

Surgical endoscopy·2007
Same journal

Complete Response of Merkel Cell Carcinoma to Immunotherapy and Single-Fraction Radiotherapy Following Severe COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report and Review of Immune Mechanism.

The American surgeon·2026
Same journal

Perioperative Acute Myocardial Infarction in Non-Cardiac Operations: A National Analysis.

The American surgeon·2026
Same journal

Outcomes of Completion Cholecystectomy: Association With Patient Comorbidity in a National Database.

The American surgeon·2026
Same journal

Building the Conversation: Editorial Stewardship in Contemporary Surgical Publishing.

The American surgeon·2026
Same journal

Musculoskeletal Pain in Surgeons on Operating Days.

The American surgeon·2026
Same journal

Splenectomy During Cytoreductive Surgery: Marker of Surgical Burden or Independent Predictor of Morbidity?

The American surgeon·2026
See all related articles

Right lower quadrant pain can stem from conditions other than appendicitis. Diagnostic laparoscopy is recommended for women of childbearing age and older patients due to significant non-appendiceal pathology rates.

Area of Science:

  • Abdominal Surgery
  • Gastroenterology
  • Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

  • Right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain is a common presentation in emergency settings.
  • Appendicitis is the most frequent diagnosis, but other pathologies can mimic its symptoms.
  • Routine diagnostic laparoscopy for all RLQ pain cases may increase healthcare costs without proven benefit.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the incidence of non-appendiceal pathology in patients presenting with RLQ pain.
  • To determine if a selective approach to diagnostic laparoscopy is warranted based on patient demographics and suspected pathology.
  • To identify patient groups who may benefit most from diagnostic laparoscopy for RLQ pain.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 202 appendectomy cases.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of pathology findings stratified by age and sex.
  • Calculation of the frequency of non-appendiceal pathology in different subgroups.

    • Main Results:

    • In females under 50, 26% had other non-appendiceal pathology; this was 42% in those with normal appendices and 57% with periappendicitis.
    • In males under 50, 5% had other non-appendiceal pathology; this was 50% in those with normal appendices.
    • In patients over 50, 20% had other non-appendiceal pathology.

    Conclusions:

    • Women of childbearing age and patients over 50 years old exhibit a significant incidence of non-appendiceal pathology.
    • A selective diagnostic laparoscopy approach is justified in these specific patient groups presenting with RLQ pain.
    • This approach can aid in accurate diagnosis and potentially optimize treatment strategies for RLQ abdominal pain.