Chronic Appendicitis, the Lesser-Known Form of Appendiceal Inflammation: A Case Report
Charles K. Lee, Stephanie Pelenyi, Orlando Fleites, Verónica Molina Vélez, Kayla L Alaimo, Darren N Ramcharan, Frederick Tiesenga
Abstract
Chronic appendicitis is a rare condition involving appendiceal inflammation as these conditions typically present acutely and are treated with appendectomy. However, in a small minority of patients, appendicitis can have a mild presentation and become recurrent or chronic appendicitis. Due to the acute nature and immediate treatment of patients presenting with typical symptoms of appendicitis, chronic appendicitis has been often overlooked and/or misdiagnosed. We present a case in which a 50-year-old male presented with right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain of one-month duration. Computed tomography (CT) imaging showed evidence of lymph node enlargement near the patient's appendix, raising suspicion of chronic appendicitis. The patient underwent a successful laparoscopic appendectomy.