Pitfalls in the Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis in Tehran Children’s Hospital

Background: Appendicitis is the inflammation of the appendix. In spite of advances in the diagnosis and management of acute appendicitis, its morbidity is still significant. Despite widespread use of ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT) scan, and laparoscopy to diagnose appendicitis, the rate of misdiagnosis is not diminished accordingly. Methods: The current study aimed at determining the prevalence of primary misdiagnosis in pediatric patients presenting with appendicitis to Aliasghar Hospital, a tertiary referral center in Tehran, Iran from 2005 to 2015. Results: In the present study, the misdiagnosis rate of acute appendicitis was 7.4% in 10 years. Most causes of misdiagnosis were mesenteric adenitis, urinary tract infection, and gastroenteritis. Despite the availability of various diagnostic methods, the majority of patients with initial misdiagnosis were finally subjected to laparotomy for acute appendicitis. Ultrasound examination was useful in only 23% of the cases. Location of appendicitis in patients with initial misdiagnosis was retrocec in nine patients (53%), retroileum in five patients (29%), and pelvis in three patients (18%). Conclusions: Closer attention to signs and symptoms of acute appendicitis and higher clinical suspicion could reduce the rate of misdiagnosis and therefore minimize complications.