Appendiceal stump phlegmon: a rare case

Authors

  • María Manuela Rodríguez-Gutiérrez Clínica San Rafael Pereira. Colombia. Asociación Colombiana de Cirugía. Bogotá, Colombia. Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Facultad de Medicina. Pereira, Colombia. Médico, IPS; Semillero de investigación en Ciencias Médicas Quirúrgicas. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0945-4853
  • María Camila Alvarez-Solano Clínica San Rafael Pereira. Colombia. Médico, IPS. https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4828-8275
  • Edgar Andrés Herrada-Tovar Clínica San Rafael Pereira. Colombia. Médico, IPS. https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8446-6984
  • Luisa María Hincapie-Cano Clínica San Rafael Pereira. Colombia. Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Facultad de Medicina. Pereira, Colombia. Médico, IPS; Semillero de investigación en Ciencias Médicas Quirúrgicas. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2743-782X
  • Rubén Darío Jiménez-Hurtado Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Facultad de Medicina. Pereira, Colombia. Semillero de investigación en Ciencias Médicas Quirúrgicas https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2165-0718
  • María Carolina Díaz-Rivera Clínica San Rafael Pereira. Colombia. Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Facultad de Medicina. Pereira, Colombia. Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira (UTP). Pereira, Colombia. Médico, IPS; semillero de investigación en Ciencias Médicas Quirúrgicas; docente. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8976-0505

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24265/horizmed.2025.v25n1.17

Keywords:

Appendicitis , General Surgery , Appendectomy , Intestinal Fistula , Intestinal Obstruction

Abstract

Stump appendicitis is a rare late complication following appendectomy that poses a diagnostic
challenge, as physicians are often not very familiar with this pathology. This fact leads to
complications, such as intestinal fistula and small bowel obstruction, among others. Appendiceal
phlegmon is an evolutionary form of acute appendicitis whose frequency is quite low. It requires
surgical treatment, but there is still no consensus on the therapeutic protocol.
Our case involves a female patient who had undergone appendectomy years ago, who consulted for right iliac fossa pain, emesis, febrile episodes and signs of peritoneal irritation. Therefore, she was
taken to exploratory laparotomy, revealing a mass in the ascending colon, from which a biopsy was
taken. This reported appendiceal stump phlegmon, which was treated.
Currently, appendiceal stump phlegmon is not yet considered a possible differential diagnosis in
patients with right iliac fossa pain who have undergone appendectomy. For this reason, the diagnosis may be delayed, and complications such as acute abdomen, perforation and sepsis may occur. Stump appendectomy is the treatment of choice for patients with stump appendicitis. The objective of this case report is to highlight the importance of this pathology, given its low incidence. Clinicians should
be aware of the possibility of stump appendicitis or, in the case of the patient with phlegmon, should
confirm any clinical suspicion through radiological imaging to quickly recognize this pathology and
prevent related complications.

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Published

2025-03-12

How to Cite

1.
Rodríguez-Gutiérrez MM, Alvarez-Solano MC, Herrada-Tovar EA, Hincapie-Cano LM, Jiménez-Hurtado RD, Díaz-Rivera MC. Appendiceal stump phlegmon: a rare case. Horiz Med [Internet]. 2025Mar.12 [cited 2025May1];25(1):e2853. Available from: https://www.horizontemedico.usmp.edu.pe/index.php/horizontemed/article/view/2853

Issue

Vol. 25 No. 1 (2025): Enero-Marzo

Section

Case report

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