Appendicitis: common and commonly missed - the story of Alice Tapper.

OBJECTIVES

The misdiagnosis of appendicitis remains frequent. Better understanding of its clinical evolution over time would decrease the incidence of misdiagnosis.

CASE PRESENTATION: At the Society to Improve Diagnosis in medicine conference in Cleveland Ohio in October 2023, Alice Tapper and her father, CNN journalist Jake Tapper, presented her case of misdiagnosed appendicitis. Thanks to meticulous notes and a detailed timeline, the case vividly demonstrates the protean nature of appendicitis as well as the cognitive pitfalls of clinicians who treat it.

CONCLUSIONS

McBurney's point tenderness is over-emphasized as the key to the diagnosis of appendicitis.