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Case Reports
. 2023 Oct 17;2023(10):rjad565.
doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjad565. eCollection 2023 Oct.

Appendicitis mimicry of dolichocolon

Kayla K Brown  1 , Mercedes C Jolley  1 , Dean A Kocay  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Appendicitis mimicry of dolichocolon

Kayla K Brown et al. J Surg Case Rep. .

Abstract

Dolichocolon is an under-reported, under-diagnosed etiology of chronic constipation that is often overlooked as being a primary diagnosis. We present a case of an undiagnosed dolichocolon in a young adult female whose initial presentation was concerning of appendicitis. Eventually, the patient underwent a subtotal colectomy as a definitive treatment for chronic constipation. Dolichocolon is an anatomical variant that can have severe lifelong consequences, such as chronic constipation, which greatly affects a patient's quality of life and overall health if undiagnosed. The purpose of this case report is to raise awareness among the surgical community regarding the significance of early dolichocolon diagnosis, prevent misdiagnosis, and ultimately improve patient outcomes, including reducing complications associated with chronic constipation.

Keywords: appendicitis; chronic constipation; colorectal surgery; dolichocolon; general surgery; pediatric surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CT scan of 23-year-old female on hospital Day 1. (A, B) Coronal views depicting moderate to large fecal load.
Figure 2
Figure 2
CT Diatrizoate meglumine (DM) enema with air contrast. DM flows in a retrograde manner from the rectum to the cecum without evidence of obstruction or mass.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Intraoperative findings from hand-assisted laparoscopic extended right colectomy/subtotal colectomy with anastomosis. (Top) 80 cm (2.62 ft) resected segment of the dilated redundant ascending colon. (Bottom) 95 cm (3.12 ft) resected segment, on stretch.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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