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Case Reports
. 2024 Jul 27;16(7):e65529.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.65529. eCollection 2024 Jul.

A False Alarm of Acute Abdomen: Epiploic Appendagitis Case Report and Literature Review

Noor Ul Huda Ramzan  1 , Talha Asif  2 , Mahnoor Tauqeer  3 , Muhammad Bilal Hashmat  2 , Mian Uman Anwer  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

A False Alarm of Acute Abdomen: Epiploic Appendagitis Case Report and Literature Review

Noor Ul Huda Ramzan et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

An acute abdomen that is tender to palpation often represents a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate surgical or medical management. We present a case of acute abdomen with peritoneal signs and symptoms due to epiploic appendagitis (EA) that resolved with a single dose of ibuprofen. EA often mimics appendicitis, diverticulitis, and rarely cholecystitis based on its location. It arises due to ischemic infarction of an epiploic appendage, typically caused by torsion or spontaneous thrombosis of the central draining vein. Despite its rarity, clinicians need to recognize the characteristic imaging findings of EA on CT and ultrasound to avoid unnecessary surgical interventions and to manage the condition conservatively.

Keywords: (nsaid) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; cost-effective practice; differential diagnoses of acute abdomen; fat attenuation; primary epiploic appendagitis (pea).

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Computed tomography of the abdomen
The arrow points to the 3.8 cm sharply circumscribed fat attenuation structure in axial view. It is surrounded by mild inflammation and is located in the anterior left mid-abdomen along the transverse colon.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Computed tomography (CT) of the pelvis
The arrow points to the 3.8 cm sharply circumscribed fat attenuation structure in coronal view. This is most consistent with epiploic appendagitis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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