2021 Volume 46 Issue 2 Pages 133-137
A 19-year-old woman presented at our hospital with a right lower abdominal pain. A plain abdominal radiography showed a calculus in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen, and computed tomography imaging showed appendiceal swelling and a calculus in the appendix. She was diagnosed as having acute appendicitis accompanied by an appendiceal calculus and underwent a laparoscopic appendectomy. Inside the resected specimen, we found a calculus with a diameter of 14 mm. The postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged two days after the operation. Acute appendicitis accompanied by an appendiceal calculus is rare but has a higher risk of a severe course, resulting in perforated appendicitis. In the present case, the inflammation was mild, but an appendiceal calculus was present; consequently, we performed an emergency operation to prevent a worsening of the patient’s condition. Today, the advancement of antimicrobial treatment has enabled many cases of acute appendicitis to be treated with antibacterial drugs, avoiding surgery. However, when acute appendicitis accompanied by an appendiceal calculus is present, early surgical intervention to prevent a worsening of the patient’s condition should be considered.
