Appendicitis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Appendicitis, including details on symptoms, surgery, causes, treatment.

An emergency diagnostic dilemma: a case of Yersinia enterocolitica colitis mimicking acute appendicitis in a beta-thalassemia major patient: the role of CT and literature review.

Antonopoulos P, Constantinidis F, Charalampopoulos G, Dalamarinis K, Karanicas I, Kokkini G

Department of Computed Tomography, 1st IKA, Sismanoglio General Hospital, Sismanogliou 1 Maroussi, 15126,, Athens, Greece, axonikos@sismanoglio.gr.

The role of computed tomography (CT) scanning in a case of Yersinia enterocolitica (YE) enteritis mimicking acute appendicitis in a 34-year-old female patient with beta-thalassemia major is presented. Although the abdominal CT findings on admittance were indicative of acute appendicitis (enlargement of the appendix and thickening of its wall), making appendectomy a likely treatment option, a second CT scan 3 days later was diagnostic for infectious colitis (bowel wall thickening, ulcerations of the colonic mucosa, and fat stranding), and an unnecessary appendectomy was thus avoided. The diagnosis of YE colitis was later confirmed by serology tests.

Published 5 February 2008 in Emerg Radiol, 15(2): 123-6.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Appendicitis Research Today. All Rights Reserved.