Epiploic Appendagitis: Systematic Review of a Distinctive Pathology

• Published in: The American Surgeon 2024-11, Vol.90 (11), p.3074-3081
• Main Authors: Acevedo-Castillo, Carlos D., Macias-Cruz, Hannia M., Ramirez-Cisneros, Arantxa, Bautista-Coronado, Uriel A., Moran-Guerrero, Jose A., Guzman, Eduardo Alberto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Abdomen, Acute - diagnosis; Abdomen, Acute - etiology; Abdominal Pain - diagnosis; Abdominal Pain - etiology; Adult; Anorexia; Appendicitis; Appendicitis - complications; Appendicitis - diagnosis; Appendicitis - surgery; Blood; Case reports; Citation management software; Colitis - complications; Colitis - diagnosis; Colon; Diabetes; Diagnosis, Differential; Diarrhea; Disease; Diverticulitis; Diverticulitis - complications; Diverticulitis - diagnosis; Eating disorders; Female; Health services; Humans; Hypertension; Leukocytes; Localization; Male; Medical personnel; Normal distribution; Ovaries; Pain; Patients; Recognition; Signs and symptoms; Systematic review; Tomography
• ISSN: 0003-1348; 1555-9823; 1555-9823
• DOI: 10.1177/00031348241256062

Introduction: Epiploic appendagitis (EA) is an essential cause of abdominal pain that can be confused with more typical causes such as acute diverticulitis and appendicitis. Epiploic appendagitis accounts for 1% of all cases of abdominal pain in adults. The scarcity of information has limited its recognition as an essential nonsurgical cause of acute abdominal pain. Methods: We performed a systematic review of all EA cases published. We searched Scopus, Medline, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to retrieve all available studies from January 2000 to November 2023. Results: 196 case reports and case series were analyzed, with 371 patients with EA included. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 39 years. Most patients were male (59%). The primary presenting symptoms were pain (100%), tenderness (59.5%), and rebound tenderness (27.4%). The left abdomen was the most common localization of pain (53%). The most frequently identified differential diagnoses were acute appendicitis (26.4%) and acute diverticulitis (16.1%). Most patients (53%) were treated conservatively, and 98 (26.4%) underwent surgical treatment. A significant difference in the choice of treatment was found for signs and symptoms such as rebound tenderness, nausea, anorexia, and diarrhea. Conclusions: Acute EA is an essential clinical condition of rare occurrence that might present a diagnostic challenge, as it can masquerade as another acute abdominal pain etiology. The optimal management of EA is conservative, so a higher recognition by surgeons and emergency physicians is essential to avoid unnecessary surgical interventions and their associated consequences.