Appendicitis in COVID-19-Positive Patient in Postpartum Period: Differential Diagnosis Dilemma

Abstract

The clinical symptoms of appendicitis in puerperium are atypical and often overlap with other symptoms. A 33-year patient, 8 days postpartum, was admitted due to high fever up to 38.7 C, dry cough and data showing that she was in contact with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-positive person. She was examined, and laboratory and radiographic evaluations were done. After initial treatment she started recovering well, but on the next day due to deterioration of her condition she was urgently operated and acute appendicitis was diagnosed. The coincidence of symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the symptoms of appendicitis, as well as impaired immune status in puerperium, make it difficult to detect appendicitis in a timely manner and open the question if acute viral infection such as SARS-CoV-2 can trigger an acute appendicitis.

J Clin Gynecol Obstet. 2020;9(4):119-123
doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jcgo649