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Case Reports
. 2024 Feb 21;2024(2):rjae075.
doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjae075. eCollection 2024 Feb.

Appendiceal duplication: a case report of horseshoe-shaped appendix and implications for patient safety

Tarik Deflaoui  1 , Anas Derkaoui  1 , Mohammed Mahmoudi  1 , Yassir Akil  1 , Rihab Amara  2 , Nadir Miry  3 , Benani Amal  3 , Rachid Jabi  1   4 , Mohammed Bouziane  1   4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Appendiceal duplication: a case report of horseshoe-shaped appendix and implications for patient safety

Tarik Deflaoui et al. J Surg Case Rep. .

Abstract

Appendiceal anomalies, particularly double appendices, are rare and mainly detected during non-appendiceal surgery in adults. Misrecognizing them can have serious consequences, both clinically and legally. It is critical that surgeons pay attention to the anatomical variations of the vermiform appendix, and always consider the possibility of duplicated appendix when diagnosing a right iliac fossa pain. Misdiagnosis can lead to life-threatening medical complications for the patient, with medico-legal implications.

Keywords: anatomical anomalies; appendiceal duplication; atypical appendicitis; emergency surgery; medico-legal complications.

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Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Image of a 3D computed tomography reconstruction distinctly revealing two separate stercoliths, each located at a different site and oriented differently, thereby reinforcing the suspicion of appendiceal duplication.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Intraoperative images depicting appendiceal duplication, 1 and 2: Images showing the two appendices, sharing a common mesentery, with two distinct bases and a common tip, 3 and 4: Images of the two appendices prior to dissection, 5 and 6: Images following the separation of the two appendices, 7: Surgical specimen.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Microscopic examination of the specimen reveals two appendices with two separate lumens, partially sharing the muscularis layer, the sub-serosa, and the serosa (H&E, ×100).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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