Transient perinephric accumulation of fluid associated with acute appendicitis in pregnancy

✍ Scribed by David M. Sherer; Jacques S. Abramowicz; Tamara Allen; Jeffery R. Fichter; William Harvey; James R. Woods Jr.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 411 KB
• Volume: 20
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0091-2751
• DOI: 10.1002/jcu.1870200511

✦ Synopsis

Acute appendicitis is the most common extrauterine surgical emergency during pregnancy, with an incidence of about 1 in 2000 to 40,000 deliveries. Traditionally, ultrasonography has played a minor role in detecting acute appendicitis. It has been employed mainly to exclude other possible diagnoses and was limited to documentation of the sequelae of perforation, i.e., periappendicular abscess.' However, current enhanced ultrasound resolution has enabled description of the sonographic changes associated with acute appendicitis prior to p e r f ~r a t i o n . ~-~

The following case describes transient marked accumulation of perinephric fluid noted in association with acute appendicitis in pregnancy. Postsurgical spontaneous resolution of this finding was documented.

CASE REPORT

A 27-year-old white female, gravida 2, para 1, was followed during her second gestation. Her current pregnancy was uneventful until she presented with suspected preterm labor at 35 317 weeks, menstrual age. Upon admission, she was afebrile and her physical examination was unremarkable. Intravenous crystalloid fluids and subcutaneous terbutaline were administered with suppression of the uterine contractions. However, 2 days after admission she became