A rare case of appendicitis-like syndrome: prompt laparoscopic diagnosis and management.

BACKGROUND: Hyperpyrexia associated with right iliac fossa pain and tenderness in a young patient is a common finding in an Emergency Department, and is frequently caused by acute appendicitis or genitourinary affliction. Especially in the case of young males, it is debated whether the patient should undergo immediate surgery or be referred for imagery, and, when surgery is finally planned, whether an open incision of the iliac fossa or a laparoscopic approach is preferred.

OBJECTIVE: We describe a case of a patient with a twisted, ischemic ileal hemangioma mimicking an acute appendicitis, which was diagnosed and managed laparoscopically.

CASE REPORT: A 16-year-old boy was admitted to the Emergency Department with a 2-day history of hyperpyrexia, nausea, right iliac fossa pain, and tenderness. Perioperative computed tomography scan showed a 3-cm image that was interpreted as a periappendicular abscess. At laparoscopy, a twisted ischemic mass adherent to the surrounding ileum was located and removed. The patient's outcome was uneventful. Pathology showed a benign hemangioma of the ileal mesentery. To our knowledge, this is the first case treated by laparoscopic resection.

CONCLUSIONS: Rare conditions, such as peduncolated tumors, can mimic common conditions like acute appencitis. Also, due to the aspecificity of symptoms and difficult interpretation of imagery, diagnosis can be difficult to achieve preoperatively and surgery can be challenging. Laparoscopy can allow a diagnosis to be made and the appropriate treatment to be performed without the need for laparotomy. Rare causes of appendicitis-like syndrome represent an argument in favor of a laparoscopic approach, even in the case of young male patients.