title: Appendicitis in a 14-month-old infant with respiratory symptoms.
abstract: Although appendicitis is the condition that most commonly requires emergent abdominal surgery in the paediatric population, less than 2% of the disease occurs in infants and it is even more uncommon in neonates. In this report, we describe a rare case of a 14-month-old child presenting with abdominal pain first diagnosed with upper respiratory tract infection and then admitted to our Paediatric Surgery Department with a final diagnosis of acute appendicitis. A particular attention has to be kept on children presenting with an upper respiratory tract infection since symptoms can mask abdominal signs. Due to high morbidity and mortality rate related to a delayed diagnosis, appendicitis always has to be considered as a possible diagnosis, in order to ensure a prompt treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, FONDAZIONE IRCCS CA' GRANDA - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brisighelli
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morandi
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Parolini
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leva
mesh_terms: D018784:Abdominal Abscess / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*