Acute Appendicitis in Children: The Diagnostic Challenges

Abstract

Acute appendicitis (AA) remains the most common atraumatic acute surgical condition of the abdomen.
About one third of patients with AA are younger than 18 years of age; the peak incidence occurring between ages 11 and 12 years.1 AA is ultimately diagnosed in 1% to 8% of children who present to pediatric emergency departments (EDs) with acute abdominal pain. Males and females have a lifetime appendicitis risk of 8.6% and 6.7%, respectively. Although AA is uncommon in infants and younger children, neonatal and even prenatal cases have been described.