PURPOSE The traditional management of a periappendiceal abscess or a perforated appendicitis has been initial conservative treatment, followed by an interval appendectomy (IA). However, the necessity of the interval appendectomy has been questioned by an increasing number of studies recently. The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of conservative treatment, instead of IA, in managing a perforated appendicitis or a periappendiceal abscess after successful initial conservative treatment. METHODS We prospectively studied 26 out of 80 patients who had been admitted for a perforated appendicitis or a periappendiceal abscess to Chonbuk National University Hospital from March 2005 to December 2007. These 26 patients were initially treated by using conservative treatment instead of surgery. We analyzed these 26 patients' progression and prognosis after treatment. The IAs were conducted at intervals of 6 to 12 wk after colonoscopy when the patient wanted an operation. RESULTS Twenty-three out of 26 (88.5%, 23/26) patients were improved after initial conservative treatment. Only 3 patients who were not improved were managed surgically. Four out of 23 patients who were relieved by conservative treatment underwent an IA voluntarily at intervals of 6 to 12 wk. Of the remaining 19 patients without IA, 1 patient (5%, 1/19) suffered a recurrence after 6 mo, and an appendectomy was performed. Eighteen (78%, 18/23) patients without an IA have shown no recurrence for 15 mo, and they are still being followed up. CONCLUSION We conclude that a routine IA after successful initial conservative treatment for a perforated appendicitis or a periappendiceal abscess seems unnecessary. Those patients should undergo colonoscopy to detect any underlying diseases and to rule out coexistent colorectal cancer.
This is a clinical analysis and review of one-hundred ninety-four patients with periappendiceal abscesses who were treated at the Departmeat of Surgery, Masan Samsung Hospital over a ten year period from January 1985 to December 1994.
The following results were obtained. The incidence of periappendiceal abscesses was 7.24% of the total cases of appendicitis operated on during the same period, and most of the patients(43.8%) were over fifty years old. The male to female ratio was 1:1.02. 41.2% of the patients had operations within four days after their symptoms occurred.
On admission, the most common physical finding was tenderness on the right lower quadrant of the abdomen (92.9%) and leukocytosis(> OR = 10,000/mm3) was noted on CBC in 82% of the patients. Abdominal sonograms revealed periappendiceal abscesses in 88% of the patients, 83% were revealed with barium enema and 88% with abdominal CT scan.
Many patients(75.5%) visited the local clinic and were treated under the diagnosis of gastritis or enteritis instead of appendicitis. One-hundred eighty-three patients(94.3%) had appendectomies with drainages(94.3%), two patients had drainages of abscesses without appendectomy, six patients had ileocecal resections and three patients had right hemicolectomies. Microbiologically, E. coli was the most frequently cultured species(63%) from abscess, and Klebsiella, Enterococcus and Proteus were isolated in some cases. Postoperative complication occurred in seventy-five patients(38.6%) and the most frequent complication was wound infection(28.8%). There was no mortality and the mean hospital stay was fifteen days.