A Rare Cause Of Acute Abdomen; Appendiceal Neuroma. Case Report

A rare cause of acute abdomen; appendiceal neuroma. Case report

ABSTRACT

    Acute abdomen refers to nontraumatic pathologies of abdominal origin which are characterized by sudden-onset abdominal pain. In most cases the cause of pain is a pathological condition requiring urgent surgical intervention. Acute appendicitis is the most common indication for surgical intervention in patients presenting to emergency department with acute abdomen. Obstruction of appendiceal lumen has been widely accepted as the precipitating factor in the pathophysiology of acute appendicitis. It usually develops as a result of food or feces particles entering into and obstructing appendiceal lumen, leading to inflammation and swelling of regional lymph nodes. Luminal obstruction results in overproduction of bacteria, excessive mucus secretion, and increased intraluminal pressure. Some studies in recent years have suggested a neural component in the pathophysiology of this condition. Such cases may present with various diagnoses such as obliterated appendix, fibrous obliteration, appendiceal neuroma, and neurogenic appendicitis. In this paper we present a case operated with the initial diagnosis of appendicitis and histopathologically diagnosed with appendiceal neuroma, a rare cause of acute abdomen.