대한대장항문학회

Acute appendicitis is the most common reason for non-obstetric abdominal surgery<br>during pregnancy. The diagnosis of appendicitis in pregnancy is difficult due to the<br>blunting of signs and symptoms during pregnancy along with a migration of appendiceal<br>location. When appendicitis in pregnancy is suspected, the physician must balance the<br>risk of delaying surgery and incurring the morbidity of delay against acting hastily and<br>performing unnecessary surgery. Eleven patients who underwent appendectomy during<br>pregnancy from April 1995 through February 1997 were reviewed. Seven patients were<br>proven to be acute appendicitis at laparotomy and by subsequent histopathology. There<br>were no significant differences between patients with positive and negative laparotomies<br>regarding frequency of presenting symptoms and signs or laboratory results. Two cases<br>of preform(25 and 31 weeks) deliveries occurred, one with a perforated appendicitis and<br>the other with negative laparotomy.<br>