ABSTRACT
Background: Acute appendicitis remains the most misdiagnosed condition worldwide. Children tend to present with a variety of clinical symptoms, may have difficult communication and could be difficult to examine
Design: A Retrospective Study
Setting: King Hamad University Hospital, Bahrain
Method: One hundred thirty-six patients who had appendectomy were reviewed between 1 May 2012 and 31 March 2016. The final diagnosis of acute appendicitis was the histological analysis of the excised specimen
Result; One hundred thirty-six underwent appendectomy and were included in this study between 1 May 2012 nd 31 March 2016. One hundred sixteen [85%] patients had uncomplicated appendicitis and 16 [12%] patients had complicated appendicitis. Four patients were histologically negative; Negative Appendectomy Rate [NAR] was 2.9%. Twelve patients had perforation; therefore, the Perforation Rate [PR] was 8.8%. Sixty-six [49%] laparoscopk appendectomies and 70 [51%] open appendectomies were performed. There was no significant difference between hospital stay and surgical technique; the average stay was 4.3 days
Conclusion: Our study has demonstrated NAR of 2.9% for a histologically normal appendix; a perforation rate of 8.8%. This study revealed the need for a prospective study for the pediatric acute abdomen and a dedicated radiological resource focused on pediatric radiology. The diagnosis of appendicitis in children remains largely clinical with appropriate use of US