Acute appendicitis in the third trimester of a pregnancy finished with spontaneous vaginal delivery

Abstract

Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical problem occurring during pregnancy. Its incidence is more common in the second trimester and is confirmed in 1/1000 pregnancies. Clinical manifestations of acute appendicitis in pregnant patients are generally very similar to non- pregnant patients. We present, here, the case of a 29-year-old pregnant patient at 35+4 weeks of gestation with the signs of acute appendicitis. The patient underwent a successful open appendectomy of her perforated appendix, without performing a cesarean section (CS) at the same time. 5 weeks postoperatively, at term, labor was induced with vaginal prostaglandins and the patient delivered a healthy female baby without any complications. Immediate diagnosis of acute appendicitis during pregnancy is recommended and management with the suitable surgical intervention should not be delayed for >24 h as it increases the risk of perforation with its subsequent critical complications. The treatment of acute appendicitis is always surgical, with an appendectomy and perioperative broad-spectrum antibiotics. Except in cases of high maternal and fetal mortality, a CS should not be done simultaneously with the appendectomy in cases of a perforated appendix with diffuse peritonitis, due to the very high risk of dehiscence of the uterus.