Clinical Gastroenterology Vol.20 No.6(6-2)

Theme Abdominal Pain in Children : Current Clinical Management
Title Acute Appendicitis in Children : Diagnosis and Treatment
Publish Date 2005/06
Author Yutaka Kanamori Department of Pediatric Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital
[ Summary ] Acute appendicitis is a very common surgicaly treated disease seen in all ages under fifteen. However, children around ten years old are most commonly affected by this condition. In order to achieve correct diagnosis of the disease, we should judge through careful palpation of the abdomen of the patient who has localized right-lower abdominal pain. Especially in those under five years of age it is very difficult to obtain correct abdominal findings. Recently, abdominal ultrasonography has become a very useful examination tool to obtain images of an inflammed appendix. We select surgical treatment for phregmonous and gangrenous appendicitis whereas, in catarrhal appendicitis conservative therapy should be chosen. Laparoscopic appedectomy has become the standard procedure in many institutes. After surgery patients should be carefully followed because postoperative wound infections, intestinal obstructions, and abscesses in the peritoneal cavity are often complications of severe appendicitis.
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