Acute appendicits: still a missed diagnosis in El Obeid, Western Sudan

One hundred and one patients with appendicitis were admitted to the emergency wards of the University Surgical Unit in El Obeid Teaching Hospital, Western Sudan during the period from July 2005 to June 2006. There were 64 males and 37 females. The mean age was 20.8 years +/- S.D. 12.8. 34 patients had appendicular mass, four patients had appendicular abscess and five patients had generalized peritonitis presenting with acute abdomen. Out of the 58 patients admitted as acute appendicitis, 15 patients were found to have perforated appendices at operation and the rest inflamed oedematous appendices, with a negative appendicectomy rate of zero per cent. These findings reflect the poor awareness about acute appendicitis and its seriousness in this area. It is the problem of late diagnosis rather than late presentation as all patients were misdiagnosed and put under treatment for other medical conditions before being admitted to the surgical wards