title: Acute ruptured appendicitis and peritonitis with pseudomyocardial infarction.
abstract: Acute abdominal conditions unexpectedly present with electrocardiographic changes. However, the presence of electrocardiographic changes and misleading clinical manifestations may obscure true etiology and delay surgical interventions. We present a patient who developed ruptured appendicitis with peritonitis manifested as acute inferior wall myocardial infarction-like electrocardiographic changes. A thorough physical examination and early echocardiographic evaluation helped to differentiate this pseudomyocardial infarction. A 64-multidetector-row computed tomography of the abdomen showed ruptured retrocecal appendicitis, and emergent appendectomy was done. Normalization of ST segments was observed after surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Shih-Hung
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Shi-Jye
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Ching-Wang
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Yen-Yue
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D001064:Appendicitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers