Background Appendicolith can cause appendiceal obstruction and acute appendicitis.Its high prevalence may be related to the high perforation rate in pediatric appendicitis.This study assessed the characteristics of ap...Background Appendicolith can cause appendiceal obstruction and acute appendicitis.Its high prevalence may be related to the high perforation rate in pediatric appendicitis.This study assessed the characteristics of appendicolith and its clinical significance in pediatric appendicitis.Methods A retrospective study was performed among children and adolescents younger than 17 years who were preopera-tively diagnosed with appendicitis in the pediatric emergency department(ED).A total of 269 patients with a mean age of 9.98±3.37 years were enrolled.Clinical features and contrast-enhanced computed tomography findings were analyzed.Results Among the 269 patients,147(54.6%)had appendicoliths,with a mean maximal diameter of 5.21±2.34 mm.Com-pared to the no appendicolith group,the appendicolith group demonstrated more prolonged abdominal pain(≥48 hours)before the ED visit(23.1%vs.11.5%;P=0.013),clinical features of severe appendicitis(presence of fever,vomiting,posi-tive urine ketone,and increased C-reactive protein),and higher rate of perforation(43.5%vs.9.8%;P<0.001).Multivariate risk factor analysis for perforated appendicitis in the appendicolith group revealed that maximal diameter of 5 mm or more in the appendicolith(adjusted odds ratio[aOR]2.919;95%CI 1.325-6.428,P=0.008)and proximal collapse adjacent to the appendicolith(aOR 2.943;95%CI 1.344-6.443,P=0.007)were significant.Conclusions Pediatric appendicitis with appendicolith often presents with prolonged abdominal pain and severe clinical conditions with a high risk of perforation.展开更多
基金supported by a grant(2017-0202)from Asan Medical Center Children's hospital,Seoul,South Korea.
文摘Background Appendicolith can cause appendiceal obstruction and acute appendicitis.Its high prevalence may be related to the high perforation rate in pediatric appendicitis.This study assessed the characteristics of appendicolith and its clinical significance in pediatric appendicitis.Methods A retrospective study was performed among children and adolescents younger than 17 years who were preopera-tively diagnosed with appendicitis in the pediatric emergency department(ED).A total of 269 patients with a mean age of 9.98±3.37 years were enrolled.Clinical features and contrast-enhanced computed tomography findings were analyzed.Results Among the 269 patients,147(54.6%)had appendicoliths,with a mean maximal diameter of 5.21±2.34 mm.Com-pared to the no appendicolith group,the appendicolith group demonstrated more prolonged abdominal pain(≥48 hours)before the ED visit(23.1%vs.11.5%;P=0.013),clinical features of severe appendicitis(presence of fever,vomiting,posi-tive urine ketone,and increased C-reactive protein),and higher rate of perforation(43.5%vs.9.8%;P<0.001).Multivariate risk factor analysis for perforated appendicitis in the appendicolith group revealed that maximal diameter of 5 mm or more in the appendicolith(adjusted odds ratio[aOR]2.919;95%CI 1.325-6.428,P=0.008)and proximal collapse adjacent to the appendicolith(aOR 2.943;95%CI 1.344-6.443,P=0.007)were significant.Conclusions Pediatric appendicitis with appendicolith often presents with prolonged abdominal pain and severe clinical conditions with a high risk of perforation.
