Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41153265›Full record

ArticleDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Delayed Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy: Diagnostic Pitfalls, Multisurgical Management, and a Prolonged Postoperative Course-A Multidisciplinary Case Report.

Gabija Didžiokaitė, Aida Kuznecovaitė, Audrius Šileikis, Virginija Paliulytė

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Gabija DidžiokaitėFaculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania.ORCID 0000-0002-9742-7179
Aida KuznecovaitėFaculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania.ORCID 0009-0001-6846-6670
Audrius ŠileikisFaculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania.ORCID 0000-0001-9313-0581
Virginija PaliulytėFaculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania.ORCID 0000-0002-6604-9056

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesAcute appendicitis is the most common non-obstetric surgical emergency during pregnancy. Diagnosing appendicitis in the third trimester remains especially challenging due to physiological changes that obscure clinical presentation and limit the utility of imaging modalities. These challenges can lead to diagnostic delays, increasing the risk of severe complications for both mother and fetus. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a complex case of a 36-year-old pregnant woman at 29 + 4 weeks of gestation who developed acute appendicitis with an atypical clinical course. Her initial symptoms were nonspecific and misattributed to gastrointestinal discomfort related to pregnancy. Her condition progressively worsened, leading to an emergency laparoscopic appendectomy. Intraoperative findings confirmed a perforated, necrotic appendix. Postoperatively, she experienced multiple complications, including ileus, wound dehiscence, and complete eventration of the abdominal wall. These required two additional laparotomies and the application of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy for effective wound management. Despite the severity of maternal complications and the risk of preterm delivery, a multidisciplinary team provided coordinated care. The patient was delivered vaginally at 34 + 4 weeks using vacuum assistance. The neonate, who developed sepsis, was treated in the neonatal intensive care unit and discharged after 24 days. Both mother and child ultimately recovered.

conclusionsThis case highlights the diagnostic complexity of appendicitis in late pregnancy and the potential for severe postoperative complications. Prompt surgical intervention, high clinical suspicion, and a multidisciplinary approach are crucial. Moreover, this report adds to the limited literature on the use of VAC therapy for abdominal eventration in pregnancy, demonstrating its feasibility and safety in selected cases.

Indexed as

acute appendicitiseventrationintestinal obstructionperforated appendixpostoperative complicationspregnancythird trimestervacuum-assisted closure (VAC)

Identifiers

PMID41153265
PMCPMC12564574

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.