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

Left-sided perforated appendicitis in a patient with situs inversus totalis, a case report

Situs inversus, an uncommon disorder, causes the orientation of asymmetric organs to be opposite to that of normal anatomy. It can be either partial, affecting only the thoracic or abdominal cavities, or full, involving the transposition of both the thoracic and abdominal organs. A 31-year-old Ethiopian male patient presented with migratory abdominal pain in the left lower quadrant for 3 days. Associated with the pain, he experienced symptoms of nausea, vomiting of ingested matter, and loss of appetite. Investigations were consistent with left-sided appendicitis with situs inversus totalis. Therefore, the patient was operated on and discharged with no perioperative complications. Appendicitis is a rare cause of left lower quadrant pain. In order to reduce the delay in patient treatment and avoidable perioperative complications, emergency physicians, radiologists, and surgeons must become more knowledgeable about situs inversus and left side appendicitis.

A Case of Left-Sided Acute Appendicitis in a 45-Year-Old Man with Situs Inversus Totalis Managed by Emergent Laparoscopic Appendectomy

BACKGROUND Situs inversus totalis (SIT) is a rare congenital abnormality that includes mirror-image transposition of both the abdominal and the thoracic organs. It may remain undetected into adulthood until an acute medical emergency results in diagnostic imaging. This report presents a challenging case of left-sided acute appendicitis in a 45-year-old man with SIT. CASE REPORT A 45-year-old man with a medical history of gastroesophageal reflux disease, class 2 obesity, prediabetes, and elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol presented with severe acute abdominal pain localized in the left lower quadrant with localized tenderness, nausea, and 2 episodes of non-bloody and non-bilious emesis that started a day before the clinical encounter. Computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis revealed previously undiagnosed congenital SIT. In addition, physical, laboratory, and radiological findings suggested early acute appendicitis with no evidence of complications. Hence, the patient was managed with an emergent laparoscopic appendectomy. Acute appendicitis was confirmed in the post-surgery histopathological examination. The post-surgery recovery was uneventful, and the patient was discharged home on the second postoperative day. CONCLUSIONS This report highlights that SIT may remain undiagnosed into adulthood and poses a challenge in the diagnosis of left-side appendicitis due to atypical symptom presentation, supporting the findings of previous case reports. Therefore, the inclusion of left-sided acute appendicitis in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain in the left lower quadrant is warranted.

Usefulness of an intraoperative flipped monitor in laparoscopic surgery with situs inversus totalis: a case report of laparoscopic-assisted ileocecal resection

BACKGROUND

Situs inversus totalis (SIT) is a rare congenital condition that involves complete transposition (right to left reversal) of the visceral organs. Laparoscopic surgery can be challenging because of the mirror-image anatomy. We describe a surgical innovation in laparoscopic surgery for SIT.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 41-year-old man with SIT was diagnosed with an appendiceal tumor and underwent laparoscopic-assisted ileocecal resection. Preoperatively, we evaluated anatomical variations using 3D-computed tomography and simulated mirror images by watching flipped videos of patients with normal anatomy undergoing similar operations. During the operation, port placement and the surgeons' standing positions were reversed. Additionally, two monitors were placed at the patient's head, with one monitor showing original images, and the other showing flipped images that looked the same as the normal anatomy. We checked the range of the mobilized region and important anatomical structures by watching the flipped monitor as needed. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful.

CONCLUSIONS

Due to the complexities of laparoscopic surgery for SIT, preoperative preparation and surgical innovation are necessary for safe surgery. Several suggestions have been made to understand anatomical anomalies and improve operability; however, surgeons must focus on the mirror-image anatomy throughout the operation. Therefore, the use of intraoperative flipped monitor will be helpful for surgeons in reducing the risk of anatomical misidentification.