• Omaima Bu-Ali, Mohamed Al-Bashir, Hashim A Samir, and Fikri M Abu-Zidan.
• Department of Surgery,Tawam Hospital in affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates.
• Ulus Travma Acil Cer. 2011 May 1; 17 (3): 267-8.

AbstractStump appendicitis is a rare delayed complication of appendectomy. The delay in diagnosis is usually because of a prior history of appendectomy. We report a case of stump appendicitis diagnosed pre-operatively with a computerized tomography (CT) scan after laparoscopic appendectomy. An 18-year-old male presented with a one-week history of lower abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. He had a history of laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis. Physical examination revealed tenderness and guarding in the lower abdomen. CT scan showed free pelvic fluid with a tubular structure of about 2.5 cm in length and 0.78 cm in diameter located posterior to the ileo-cecal junction. Laparoscopic exploration confirmed the findings. A residual appendiceal stump was found and dissected from the adhesion and removed. Histopathology showed a residual appendix with transmural neutrophilic infiltration associated with multifocal hemorrhagic necrosis. The postoperative period was uneventful. The diagnosis of stump appendicitis can be challenging. CT scan has proven to be a useful tool for the diagnosis of this rare condition.

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