Epiploic Appendicitis in Differential Diagnosis of Acute Abdominal Pain: A Pediatric Case

Abstract

Epiploic appendicitis is an uncommon and self-limiting disease. Clinically, it can often mimic acute appendicitis or acute diverticulitis, which are more common causes of acute lower abdominal pain. A 16-year-old male patient was admitted to our pediatric gastroenterology outpatient clinic with complaints of diarrhea (4 times a day) and severe abdominal pain in the epigastric region for three days. Abdominal computed tomography showed normal pancreas, hepatosteatosis, thickening of the cecum wall, multiple mesenteric lymphadenopathy in the right lower quadrant, areas similar to fat necrosis and 25x20 mm lesions compatible with EA. The patient, whose clinical and laboratory findings improved completely with antibiotic therapy, was discharged. In this study, we aimed to draw attention to epiploic appendicitis, which is one of the causes of acute lower abdominal pain in children and should be kept in mind in order to prevent unnecessary operations.

Keywords

• epiploic appendicitis
• abdominal pain
• pediatric case