title: Acute appendicitis during pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To analyze the diagnosis and surgical treatment of acute appendicitis during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 24 pregnant patients who underwent surgery with preliminary diagnosis of acute appendicitis between January 1990 and July 2000 were reviewed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between January 1990 and July 2000, there were 31,480 deliveries and the incidence of acute appendicitis was 1/1,312. Twenty patients had pathologically proven acute appendicitis (83.3%). Of the remaining 4 patients, one had hemorrhagic ovarian cyst, one had ovarian cyst rupture and in two cases no surgical pathology was diagnosed. Gestational stage at the diagnosis was first trimester in 7 patients, second trimester in 12 patients and third trimester in 5 patients. Five patients had abortions and premature delivery occurred in 2 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diagnosis of acute appendicitis is difficult in pregnancy. Delay in diagnosis and surgery results in increase in complications. Emergency surgical intervention should be performed when acute appendicitis is suspected during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Vakif Gureba Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eryilmaz
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Gürhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baş
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alimoglu
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008499:Medical Records; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies