• Kuo-Ying Liu, Jia-Fwu Shyu, Yih-Huei Uen, Tien-Hua Chen, Yi-Ming Shyr, Cheng-Hsi Su, Chew-Wun Wu, and Wing-Yui Lui.
• Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
• J Chin Med Assoc. 2005 May 1; 68 (5): 226-9.

BackgroundWe report our experience with patients who had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and who presented with signs and symptoms suggesting acute appendicitis.MethodsObservational data are documented for 9 patients with AIDS who underwent surgery for acute appendicitis.ResultsOf the 9 patients, 6 (66.7%) had acute appendicitis without perforation, while the other 3 (33.3%) had perforated appendicitis. An elevated preoperative temperature was found in 4 patients without perforation (66.7%), and in 1 patient with perforation (33.3%). An elevated white blood cell count was found in all 6 patients without perforation (100%), but in none with perforation (0%). The mean interval from surgical referral to laparotomy was 61.1 hours, the mean hospital stay was 9.3 days, and the perioperative mortality rate was 22.2%.ConclusionOur experience should alert emergency medical staff who care for AIDS patients to the need for early diagnosis and prompt surgical treatment of appendicitis.

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