Citation

Khilji MF, Zia Ullah Q. Case Rep. Emerg. Med. 2017; 2017: e8245046.

Affiliation

Department of Emergency Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Hindawi Publishing)

DOI

10.1155/2017/8245046

PMID

28337350

PMCID

PMC5350481

Abstract

Appendicitis and trauma both present in emergency department commonly but their presentation together in the same patient is unusual. We present a case of a middle-aged man brought by emergency medical services (EMS) to the emergency department with complaints of abdominal pain after he was involved in motor vehicle collision. He was perfectly fine before the accident. His primary survey was normal. Secondary survey revealed tenderness in right iliac fossa with seat belt mark overlying it. Computerized tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis was performed which showed 8 mm thickening of appendix with minimal adjacent fat stranding. There is also subcutaneous fat stranding of anterior lower abdominal wall possibly due to bruising. Impression of posttraumatic seat belt compression appendicitis was made. Laparoscopic appendectomy was done and patient recovered uneventfully. Histopathology showed inflamed appendix, proving it to be a case of seat belt compression appendicitis.

Language: en