scholarly journals Acute Epiploic Appendagitis: A Nonsurgical Abdominal Pain

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Di Serafino ◽  
Francesca Iacobellis ◽  
Piero Trovato ◽  
Ciro Stavolo ◽  
Antonio Brillantino ◽  
...  

Epiploic appendagitis is a relatively rare disease characterized by an inflammation of fat-filled serosal outpouchings of the large intestine, called epiploic appendices. Diagnosis of epiploic appendagitis is made challenging by the lack of pathognomonic clinical features and should therefore be considered as a potential diagnosis by exclusion first of all with appendicitis or diverticulitis which are the most important causes of lower abdominal pain. Currently, with the increasing use of ultrasound and computed tomography in the evaluation of acute abdominal pain, epiploic appendagitis can be diagnosed by characteristic diagnostic imaging features. We present a case of epiploic appendagitis with objective of increasing knowledge of this disease and its diagnostic imaging findings, in order to reduce harmful and unnecessary surgical interventions.

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Giambelluca ◽  
Roberto Cannella ◽  
Giovanni Caruana ◽  
Leonardo Salvaggio ◽  
Emanuele Grassedonio ◽  
...  

AbstractEpiploic appendagitis is a rare cause of acute abdominal pain, determined by a benign self-limiting inflammation of the epiploic appendages. It may manifest with heterogeneous clinical presentations, mimicking other more severe entities responsible of acute abdominal pain, such as acute diverticulitis or appendicitis. Given its importance as clinical mimicker, imaging plays a crucial role to avoid inaccurate diagnosis that may lead to unnecessary hospitalization, antibiotic therapy, and surgery. CT represents the gold standard technique for the evaluation of patients with indeterminate acute abdominal pain. Imaging findings include the presence of an oval lesion with fat-attenuation surrounded by a thin hyperdense rim on CT (“hyperattenuating ring sign”) abutting anteriorly the large bowel, usually associated with inflammation of the adjacent mesentery. A central high-attenuation focus within the fatty lesion (“central dot sign”) can sometimes be observed and is indicative of a central thrombosed vein within the inflamed epiploic appendage. Rarely, epiploic appendagitis may be located within a hernia sac or attached to the vermiform appendix. Chronically infarcted epiploic appendage may detach, appearing as an intraperitoneal loose calcified body in the abdominal cavity. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the clinical presentation and key imaging features that may help the radiologist to make an accurate diagnosis and guide the clinical management of those patients.


Author(s):  
Tharun Ganapathy Chitrambalam ◽  
Pradeep Joshua Christopher ◽  
Sudha Kanthasamy ◽  
Jeyakumar Sundaraj

Epiploic appendagitis is an uncommon yet a significant surgical diagnosis that every surgeon should be aware. It occurs due to the torsion of the epiploic appendage which gives rise to acute abdominal pain that can mimic other common causes of acute abdominal pain like appendicitis or cholecystitis. The treatment of epiploic appendagitis depend on clinical presentation, severity and it varies from conservative management to surgical excision. This case series is about eight patients presented with complaints of lower abdominal pain. After clinical examination they were initially diagnosed to have appendicitis or diverticulitis. The Computed Tomography (CT) -based diagnoses were appendicitis, omental infarct, diverticulitis or epiploic appendagitis. All of them were subjected to diagnostic laparoscopy and found to have an inflammed epiploic appendage which was excised laparoscopically.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 4066-4070
Author(s):  
Ronny Ronny

Epiploic appendices are small pouches filled with projection-like fat structure adjacent to the antimesenteric side of the colon wall; they range in size from 0.5 to 5 cm and provide vascularization from small arterioles. Epiploic appendagitis is a benign condition of the epiploic appendices which leads to ischemia of the structure. Ischemia, therefore, causes localized sharp abdominal pain. Though uncommon, its symptoms can be diagnosed as acute lower abdominal pain since the symptoms could mimic diverticulitis and appendicitis. Thus, to diagnose epiploic appendagitis in this case, a CT scan was conducted to detect a fat-dense lesion of ovoid-like structure close to the colon. Given the good response to conservative management, establishing a correct diagnosis could help to minimize inappropriate invasive management.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emre Ünal ◽  
Sevtap Arslan ◽  
Mehmet Ruhi Onur ◽  
Erhan Akpinar

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 364-368
Author(s):  
Vishnu Charan Suresh Kumar ◽  
Kishore Kumar Mani ◽  
Hisham Alwakkaa ◽  
James Shina

Epiploic appendages are peritoneal structures that arise from the outer serosal surface of the bowel wall towards the peritoneal pouch. They are filled with adipose tissue and contain a vascular stalk. Epiploic appendagitis is a rare cause of acute lower abdominal pain. It most commonly results from torsion and inflammation of the epiploic appendages, and its clinical features mimic acute diverticulitis or acute appendicitis resulting in being often misdiagnosed as diverticulitis or appendicitis. This frequently leads to unnecessary hospitalization, antibiotic administration, and unwarranted surgeries. Epiploic appendagitis is usually diagnosed with CT imaging, and the classic CT findings include: (i) fat-density ovoid lesion (hyperattenuating ring sign), (ii) mild bowel wall thickening, and (iii) a central high-attenuation focus within the fatty lesion (central dot sign). It is treated conservatively, and symptoms typically resolve in a few days. Therefore, epiploic appendagitis should be considered as one of the differential diagnosis for acute lower abdominal pain and prompt diagnosis of epiploic appendagitis can avoid unnecessary hospitalization and surgical intervention. In this case report, we discuss a 72-year-old woman who presented with a 2-day history of acute left lower abdominal pain.


Author(s):  
Kamila Motta Stradiotti ◽  
Felipe Pires de Albuquerque ◽  
Maria Laura Silveira de Castro ◽  
Laiane Milani de Arruda

Introdução: Apendagite epiplóica (AE) é uma causa incomum de dor abdominal causada por alterações inflamatórias e isquêmicas relacionadas à torção ou trombose venosa dos apêndices epiplóicos. Estas estruturas consistem em projeções de tecido adiposo que emergem da superfície serosa do cólon e apêndice cecal, sendo maiores e mais numerosas no cólon descendente e sigmóide. A apendagite epiplóica do apêndice cecal (AEA) é uma forma ainda mais rara de apresentação, tendo poucos casos relatados em literatura. Os sinais e sintomas da AE comumente mimetizam outras causas de abdome agudo, que varia dependendo da sua localização, devendo ser considerada no diagnóstico diferencial de dor abdominal localizada. O diagnóstico correto é fundamental para evitar gastos e procedimentos desnecessários, pois se trata de uma condição benigna e autolimitada, com tratamento conservador sendo suficiente na grande maioria dos casos. Atualmente a tomografia computadorizada é o método de escolha na avaliação de pacientes com abdome agudo. Objetivo: Relatar um caso raro de dor abdominal aguda causada por apendagite epiplóica do apêndice cecal e a importância do seu diagnóstico correto. Relato do caso: Paciente com quadro de dor abdominal aguda no quadrante inferior direito, afebril e sem outras queixas gastrointestinais associadas. Ao exame físico referiu dor à palpação profunda no quadrante inferior direito. Exames laboratoriais sem alterações. Foram solicitados exames de imagem complementares, evidenciando apêndice cecal nos limites superiores da normalidade, inflamação periapendicular e uma imagem com densidade de gordura adjacente ao apêndice. Os diagnósticos diferenciais foram de apendicite inicial e apendagite epiplóica. Foi realizado tratamento operatório e exame anatomopatológico, que confirmou o diagnóstico de apendagite epiplóica do apêndice cecal. As informações foram obtidas por meio de revisão do prontuário, entrevista com o paciente, registro dos métodos diagnósticos, incluindo exames laboratoriais, exames de imagem como tomografia computadorizada e anatomopatológico, aos quais o paciente foi submetido e uma breve revisão da literatura. Conclusão: Relatamos um caso raro de apendagite epiplóica do apêndice cecal, demonstrando um desafio diagnóstico e a importância dos métodos de imagem. Palavras Chave: Dor abdominal, Abdome agudo, Apêndice cecal, Diagnóstico por imagemABSTRACT: Introduction: Epiploic appendagitis (LA) is an uncommon cause of abdominal pain caused by inflammatory and ischemic changes related to venous torsion or thrombosis of the epiploic appendages. These structures consist of projections of adipose tissue that emerge from the serous surface of the colon and cecal appendix, being larger and more numerous in the descending and sigmoid colon. Epiploic appendagitis of the appendix (EAA) is an even rarer form of presentation, with few cases reported in the literature. The signs and symptoms of EAA commonly mimic other causes of acute abdomen, which varies depending on their location, and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of localized abdominal pain. Correct diagnosis is essential to avoid unnecessary expenses and procedures, as it is a benign and self-limited condition, with conservative treatment being sufficient in the vast majority of cases. Currently, computed tomography is the method of choice in the evaluation of patients with acute abdomen. Objectives: To describe a rare cause of abdominal pain due acute epiploic appendagitis of the appendix and reinforce the importance of the CT to diagnosis this condition and rule out other causes of acute abdominal pain. Case report: Patient with acute abdominal pain in the lower right quadrant, afebrile and without other associated gastrointestinal complaints. On physical examination, she reported pain on deep palpation in the lower right quadrant. Laboratory tests without changes. Complementary imaging exams were requested, showing the appendix at the upper limits of normal, periapendicular inflammation and an image with fat density adjacent to the appendix. The differential diagnoses were of initial appendicitis and epiplatic appendagitis. Operative treatment and anatomopathological examination were performed, which confirmed the diagnosis of appendagitis of the appendix. Information was obtained by reviewing medical records, interviewing the patient, recording diagnostic methods, including laboratory tests, imaging tests such as computed tomography, anatomopathology, and a brief review of the literature. Conclusion: We report a case of acute epiploic appendagitis of the appendix, demonstrating a diagnostic challenge and the importance of imaging methods.Keywords: Abdominal pain; Abdomen, acute; Appendix, Diagnostic imaging


Author(s):  
Chris Imray ◽  
Sarah R. Anderson ◽  
Tim Campbell-Smith ◽  
Jane Wilson-Howarth

Acute abdominal pain - Upper abdominal pain - Lower abdominal pain - Gastrointestinal bleeding - Diarrhoea and vomiting - Other gastrointestinal problems - Urological problems - Acute scrotal pain - Gynaecological problems


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