PSEUDOPARASITIC ACUTE APPENDICITIS. REPORT OF A RARE CASE

Abstract

The etiology of acute appendicitis is multifactorial with fecal stasis and fecaliths being the most common causes. The etiopathogenetic role of parasitic infection in acute appendicitis is still debatable. Appendiceal parasite and/or its ova may produce intraluminal obstruction resulting in acute appendicitis or lead to a secondary inflammation. Nevertheless, luminal obstruction of the appendix may be caused by numerous materials of different origin many of which may resemble parasitic infestation on pathology analysis thus qualifying as pseudoparasitic inflammation. Therefore, pathological examination of removed appendices must be careful and thorough to confirm real parasitic acute appendicitis or recognize pseudoparasitic inflammation and, if necessary, supplemented with stool examination for parasitic infection.

Key words: Acute appendicitis, intestinal parasites