Gynaecological disorders that mimics acute surgical conditions : a study on 588 female patients with the presumptive diagnosis of acute appendicitis

Abstract EN

Objective: In surgical practice, the surgeon may face several gynecological disorders that can present as an acute abdomen, more specifically acute appendicitis.

Some of these disorders may not need surgical interference.

The objective of this study was to investigate the incidental findings of gynecological disorders in a routine surgical practice in a major hospital in Basrah (Iraq) and to determine the incidence, types and features of these diseases that differentiate them from surgical diseases in order to avoid unnecessary surgical procedures.

Patients and Methods : this study was conducted from January 2000 to 2004 in Al-Sadir Teaching Hospital in Basrah, it included 588 female patients of different age groups who were admitted to the hospital with presumptive diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Results: Intra operative diagnosis of acute appendicitis was confirmed in 65.3 % while normal appendices were found in 6.9 %.

Gynecological disorders were found in 24.3 %, of these disorders, the most common was ruptured ovarian cysts.

Age group mostly affected was between 21 and 30 years.

Conclusion : female patients especially in child bearing age who present clinically as acute abdomen or acute appendicitis needs proper in hospital observation and repeated clinical examination together with the use of ultrasound in order to exclude gynecological disorders that didn't need surgical interference.