ACUTE APENDICITIS IN LIVER TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS.
BACKGROUND
Appendicitis is a common cause of emergency surgery that in the population undergoing organ transplantation presents a rare incidence due to late diagnosis and treatment.


OBJECTIVE
To report the occurrence of acute appendicitis in a cohort of liver transplant recipients.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis in a period of 12 years among 925 liver transplants, in witch five cases of acute appendicitis were encountered.


RESULTS
Appendicitis occurred between three and 46 months after liver transplantation. The age ranged between 15 and 58 years. There were three men and two women. The clinical presentations varied, but not discordant from those found in non-transplanted patients. Pain was a symptom found in all patients, in two cases well located in the right iliac fossa (40%). Two patients had symptoms characteristic of peritoneal irritation (40%) and one patient had abdominal distention (20%). All patients were submitted to laparotomies. In 20% there were no complications. In 80% was performed appendectomy complicated by suppuration (40%) or perforation (40%). Superficial infection of the surgical site occurred in two patients, requiring clinical management. The hospital stay ranged from 48 h to 45 days.


CONCLUSIONS
Acute appendicitis after liver transplantation is a rare event being associated with a high rate of drilling, due to delays in diagnosis and therapy, and an increase in hospital stay.
University Hospital Oswaldo Cruz, Faculty of Medical Sciences of Pernambuco, University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
Olival Cirilo Lucena da
OC
Fonseca-Neto
University Hospital Oswaldo Cruz, Faculty of Medical Sciences of Pernambuco, University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
Heloise Caroline de Souza
HC
Lima
University Hospital Oswaldo Cruz, Faculty of Medical Sciences of Pernambuco, University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
Paulo Sérgio Vieira de
PS
Melo
University Hospital Oswaldo Cruz, Faculty of Medical Sciences of Pernambuco, University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
Roberto
R
Lemos
University Hospital Oswaldo Cruz, Faculty of Medical Sciences of Pernambuco, University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
Laércio
L
Leitão
University Hospital Oswaldo Cruz, Faculty of Medical Sciences of Pernambuco, University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
Américo Gusmão
AG
Amorim
University Hospital Oswaldo Cruz, Faculty of Medical Sciences of Pernambuco, University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
Cláudio Moura
CM
Lacerda
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult