תקציר
Acute Appendicitis during Pregnancy
Eldad Silberstein, Tali Silberstein, Gad Shaked, Miriam Katz, Moshe Mazor, Itzhac Levi
Dept. of Surgery C, Divisions of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba
Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical problem in pregnancy, when it is difficult to diagnose early because of the physiological changes of pregnancy. We studied the problem in the Negev population and present the main issues in diagnosis and management. Between 1988-96, 26 women were operated on for acute appendicitis during pregnancy (1/3297 deliveries), 3 by laparoscopy. In 13 there was a histopathological confirmation of the diagnosis. Clinical diagnosis was more accurate in the first trimester of pregnancy than in the second or third (p=0.073). Premature delivery rate was higher in both confirmed and unconfirmed acute appendicitis than in other pregnancies (p<0.00001), but without significant differences between the 2 groups with appendicitis. Other indexes of maternal and perinatal morbidity did not differ either.