ACUTE APENDICITIS IN LIVER TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

BACKGROUND : Appendicitis is a common cause of emergency surgery that in the population undergoing organ transplantation presents a rare incidence due to late diagnosis and treatment. AIM : To report the occurrence of acute appendicitis in a cohort of liver transplant recipients. METHODS : Retrospective analysis in a period of 12 years among 925 liver transplants, in witch five cases of acute appendicitis were encountered. RESULTS : Appendicitis occurred between three and 46 months after liver transplantation. The age ranged between 15 and 58 years. There were three men and two women. The clinical presentations varied, but not discordant from those found in non-transplanted patients. Pain was a symptom found in all patients, in two cases well located in the right iliac fossa (40%). Two patients had symptoms characteristic of peritoneal irritation (40%) and one patient had abdominal distention (20%). All patients were submitted to laparotomies. In 20% there were no complications. In 80% was performed appendectomy complicated by suppuration (40%) or perforation (40%). Superficial infection of the surgical site occurred in two patients, requiring clinical management. The hospital stay ranged from 48 h to 45 days. CONCLUSION : Acute appendicitis after liver transplantation is a rare event being associated with a high rate of drilling, due to delays in diagnosis and therapy, and an increase in hospital stay.