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Acute Appendicitis

Sean P Cullen, MD
Valerie L Ward, MD
Ramin Khorasani, MD

July 16, 1997

Presentation

A 43-year-old man presented with right and left lower quadrant abdominal pain.

Imaging Findings

CT images of the abdomen and pelvis

Contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography (CT) images demonstrate a soft tissue mass at the cecal tip (arrow) measuring approximately 3.0 cm in greatest transverse diameter. The pericecal fat is mildly infiltrated. The appendix (arrow) is enlarged, measuring 1.8 cm in greatest transverse diameter. There is no evidence of abscess or appendiceal perforation and no free fluid is visible within the pelvis.

Differential Diagnosis

The most likely diagnosis is acute appendicitis with an associated inflammatory mass at the cecal tip. A much less likely possibility would be a neoplastic cecal mass with secondary inflammation of the appendix.

Diagnosis

acute appendicitis

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