Intestinal obstruction delaying the diagnosis of acute appendicitis: a case presentation

Abstract

Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical emergency worldwide. Patients often present with symptoms such as abdominal pain, migrating pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. Signs of intestinal obstruction are rarely detected in patients. A 55-year-old male patient presented to the emergency department with complaints of abdominal distension, nausea, and vomiting, leading to admission to the surgical clinic with a diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. Due to the predominance of obstruction symptoms in the patient and the inadequacy of radiological evaluations due to the dilatation of bowel loops, emergency surgery was not performed. Following monitoring in the ward, laparotomy was performed in the patient, revealing a complete obstruction at 90 cm from the ileocecal valve, and a diagnosis of acute appendicitis was established. Appendectomy was performed, and the patient was discharged in a healed condition. Acute appendicitis can rarely lead to intestinal obstruction and may present with unexpected clinical manifestations.