The management of acute appendicitis is most often surgical with appendectomy; the blind-ending, inflamed appendix is removed, usually laparoscopically. There is growing awareness of the potential for a delayed complication if only the tip or otherwise subtotal length is removed. A remnant portion of the base of the appendix, referred to as a stump, if long enough can become obstructed and symptomatic similar to the etiology of acute appendicitis. In cases of recurrent right lower quadrant pain in a patient with a surgical history of appendectomy, appendicitis remains on the differential diagnosis alongside non-appendiceal causes such a colitis and epiploic appendagitis. Imaging diagnosis by computed tomography or ultrasound of stump appendicitis is similar to acute appendicitis with right lower quadrant inflammation and stump distension and wall thickening. In this educational exhibit we will review the imaging features of stump appendicitis as well as developments in surgical techniques relevant to this delayed complication. Relevant anatomy and differential diagnosis for right lower quadrant pain will also be summarized. Read More

Meeting name: SPR 2018 Annual Meeting & Postgraduate Course , 2018

Authors: Essenmacher Alex, Kao Simon, Sato T Shawn

Keywords: appendix, surgery, appendicitis