Appendiceal perforation is uncommon in the neonate. Diess reported the firs case in 1908. Approximately HI additional cases have been reported since that time. However, with exclusion of neonatal appendicitis' associated with inguinal or umbilical hernias, n,ecrotizing enterocolitis, meconium plug, and Hirschsprung's disease, there are only 36 cases of primary neonatal appendicitis. We treated a 12 days old boy with perforation of the appendix. The infant was 3000 g at birth and had a normal spontaneous vaginal delivary at 35 weeks of gestation. The mother was 31-year-old and had premature rupture of membrane. After normal feeding for the first 5 days of life, the infant had emesis of undigested milk, decreased activity and jaundice. The baby was admitted to the Pediatrics. Progressive abdominal distension, fever, decreased activity, and vomitting developed over the next six days. Erect abdominal radiography showed pneumoperitoneum. At exploratory laparotomy, a 0.8 × 0.6 em sized perforation was noted at antime-senteric border of midportion of the appendix. Trasmural inflammation and the presence of ganglion cells were noticed on histology.
A Case of Ruptured Acute Appendicitis Presenting as Pneumoperitoneum in Low Birth Weighted Premature Baby Kyumin Kang, Youngmin Park, Haesoo Koo, Kum-ja Choi Journal of the Korean Association of Pediatric Surgeons.2012; 18(2): 83. CrossRef
