Successful laparoscopic management of concomitant ectopic pregnancy and acute appendicitis in a patient of failed tubal ligation – case report with a review of the literature

BACKGROUND: The incidence of failed abdominal bilateral tubal ligation (BTL) is quite low. Most often the pregnancy following BTL is ectopic in location. The association of concurrent acute appendicitis with ectopic pregnancy is also very rare. From 1960 till 2008 only 23 such cases of ectopic pregnancy with appendicitis managed by open surgery have been reported in the medical literature. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case in which the patient had concurrent ectopic pregnancy of the right fallopian tube with acute appendicitis after failed BTL and which was managed successfully by laparoscopic approach. CONCLUSION: Although the combination of ectopic pregnancy and acute appendicitis is quite rare, it is wise to rule out concurrent acute appendicitis in patients of ectopic pregnancy especially if it is on the right side due to an inter-etiological relationship. Laparoscopic management of both these pathologies can be accomplished quite successfully in properly selected cases.