Left side appendiceal abscess in a patient with intestinal nonrotation: Case report

Abstract

Intestinal nonrotation is the most common type of mid-gut anomaly where the small bowel predominantly occupies the right side of the peritoneal cavity, while the colon primarily resides on the left. The occurrence of acute appendicitis in mid-gut anomalies poses a serious diagnostic challenge due to unprecedented clinical and imaging features. Here we present a 20-year-old female who came to the hospital with left lower abdominal pain of 3 weeks duration, referred with a diagnosis of tubo-ovarian abscess. Further evaluation with an abdominopelvic CT scan revealed ileocecal junction in the left lower quadrant with a well-defined appendiceal abscess. The absence of a prior diagnosis of nonrotation, combined with the atypical presentation of pain, complicates the diagnosis of appendicitis. We emphasize the significance of considering left-sided appendicitis as a potential diagnosis for left-sided abdominal pain and recommend early cross-sectional imaging to prevent complications and improve surgical outcomes.