Acute Appendicitis in Patients with Kartagener Syndrome

Acute Cholecystitis in a Patient With Situs Inversus

A rare disorder called situs inversus partialis (SIP) is characterized by the transposition of organs in the abdomen or thoracic cavity from one side of the body to the other (the mirror image of normal). Autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, rare genetic mutations, and X-linked recessive inheritance patterns have been identified to be involved in this condition. Laparoscopic cholecystectomies have been successfully performed on patients with SIT. Due to challenges in spatial orientation and the identification of anatomical variations brought on by the abdominal organs' mirror image, surgery is more complicated and takes longer. We describe a 40-year-old female case who had acute cholecystitis. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was used to treat this patient, a highly effective procedure for both the treatment and care of these patients. Post-surgical examination and follow-up revealed improvement in the patient's condition without subsequent complications.

[Right-sided acute appendicitis in situs inversus totalis. Case report]

Background

Acute appendicitis is widely recognized as the prevailing abdominal surgical emergency globally, exhibiting an annual incidence ranging from 96.5 to 100 cases per 100,000 adults. Conversely, situs inversus totalis is a rare anatomical anomaly characterized by the complete reversal of the chest and abdominal organs, occurring in approximately 1 out of every 10,000 to 50,000 individuals.

Clinical case

53-year-old female patient who presented to the emergency department with a complaint of diffuse abdominal pain of colic nature that had persisted for 5 days. The patient referred systemic hypertension, pre-diabetes mellitus type 2, and situs inversus as relevant medical history. A laparotomy procedure was conducted, revealing a perforated appendix located in the right hypochondrium. Additionally, the patient exhibited situs inversus totalis, with the colon positioned in its normal anatomical location.

Conclusions

Due to the low incidence of situs inversus totalis, in cases similar to the one presented, the utilization of image studies and laboratory studies is imperative for accurate diagnosis. In the face of diagnostic suspicions and inconclusive paraclinical studies, the most effective approach is to pursue surgical examination and intervention, preferably utilizing laparoscopic techniques.

Acute appendicitis and situs viscerum inversus: radiological and surgical approach-a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Acute appendicitis is one of the most frequent intra-abdominal diseases requiring emergency surgical consult and treatment. The diagnosis of this condition is based on clinical features and radiologic findings. One-third of patients with acute appendicitis present unusual symptoms. There are several circumstances that may cause misdiagnosis and unclear prognostic prediction. Among these, situs viscerum inversus totalis and midgut malrotation can be challenging scenarios, leading to a delay in treatment, especially when these conditions are unknown. We decided to carry on a systematic review of published cases of acute appendicitis in the context of anatomical anomalies.

METHODS

We used the MESH terms "appendicitis" AND "situs inversus" AND/OR "gut malrotation" to search for titles and abstracts. Inclusion criteria were patients with clinical and/or radiological diagnosis of acute appendicitis, with conservative or surgical management and with preoperative/intraoperative findings of situs viscerum inversus or gut malrotation. Additionally, previous reviews were examined. Exclusion criteria of the studies were insufficient patient clinical and demographic data.

RESULTS

We included in this review 70 articles concerning 73 cases of acute appendicitis with anatomical anomaly. Patients were aged from 8 to 86 years (median: 27.0 years). 50 were male and 23 were female. 46 patients (63%) had situs viscerum inversus, 24 (33%) had midgut malrotation, 2 (2.7%) had Kartagener's syndrome, one of them (1.4%) had an undetermined anomaly In 61 patients the anatomical anomaly was unknown previously (83.6%), while 16,4% already were aware of their condition.

CONCLUSION

Acute appendicitis can occur in association of rare anatomical anomalies and in these cases diagnosis can be challenging. Situs viscerum inversus and midgut malrotation should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient with left lower quadrant pain, especially in younger population. Besides clinical features, it is fundamental to implement the diagnostic progress with radiological examination. Laparoscopic approach is useful to identify and treat acute surgical emergency and it is also a diagnostic tool and can be tailored in order to offer the best exposition of the operatory field for each single case.

Acute cholecystitis and residual choledocholithiasis in a situs inversus patient, successful laparoscopic approach and ERCP a case report from Ecuador

Background

Situs inversus totalis is a rare genetic condition characterized by the transposition of organs to the opposite side of the body, consequently, clinical syndromes show an atypical clinical picture creating a challenge for the surgery team and predisposing to delays in treatment and diagnosis. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard for acute cholecystitis, and in patients with situs inversus, the laparoscopic technique must be modified to accommodate the patient's anatomy.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 55-year-old male patient without any past medical history, he presented to the emergency room with abdominal pain in his upper left quadrant. After a thorough examination, acute cholecystitis and situs inversus was diagnosed. He underwent a modified laparoscopic cholecystectomy without complications. In his postoperative period, residual choledocholithiasis was identified and ERCP was done. On follow-ups, the patient is doing well.

Conclusions

Although rare and technically demanding, laparoscopic cholecystectomy and ERCP in a patient with situs inversus is feasible. The altered anatomy could lead to complex procedures, therefore proper planning and careful execution of intraoperative techniques are required to treat these patients safely and effectively.

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Situs inversus totalis is a rare condition characterized by the transposition of organs to the opposite side of the body.

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Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard for acute cholecystitis, even in patients situs inversus.

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Proper planning and careful execution of intraoperative techniques are required to treat these patients safely.