Appendicitis is one of the most common causes of the acute abdomen and one of the most frequent indications for emergency abdominal surgery. It is most common in the 2nd and 3rd decades of life. The incidence of acute appendicitis is 233/100000 population and highest between the ages ten and nineteen. The lifetime risk for men and women acquiring acute appendicitis is 8.6% and 6.7% respectively (1).The rate of laparoscopic appendicectomy has increased from 2.5% in 2003 to 78% in 2010 (2),however this figure varies...

This was a retrospective study performed at a univerity teaching hospital with a tertriary referral surgical department . Institutional ethics board approval was obtained. We performed a search on the radiology database of all abdominal CT studies performed between January 2009 and January 2016 inclusive. All patients that underwent a contrast enhanced CT scan that documented retained appendicolith-related pathology post-appendicectomy were included. Images were retrieved and reviewed by two radiologists to confirm a diagnosis of retained appendicolith-related pathology. The medical records of all patients meeting...

Between January 2009 and January 2016, seven patients presented with a post appendicectomy retained appendicolith complication. The patients’ characteristics are summarized in table 1 . All patients had previously presented with acute appendicitis. Six patients had undergone a laparoscopic appendicectomy, one patient had a laparoscopic converted to open appendicectomy. The mean time from appendicectomy to presentation was 1058 days (range 12-4745 days). The presenting symptom of six of the patients was abdominal pain. One patient presented with buttock pain. Initial blood investigations revealed a mean...

Complications arising from the retained appendicolith are rare and can present several years after appendicectomy. Appendicitis mostly is uncomplicated, but can become extremely complicated in some individuals. This study shows the importance of careful retrieval of appendicoliths during surgery and that complications will most certainly arise with the retained appendicolith.

Conor Barry [email protected]

1. Addiss DG, Shaffer N, Fowler BS, Tauxe RV. The epidemiology of appendicitis and appendectomy in the United States. Am J Epidemiol. 1990;132(5):910-25. Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE 2. Ventham NT, Dungworth JC, Benzoni C. Transition towards laparoscopic appendicectomy at a UK center over a 7-year period. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech. 2015;25(1):59-63.