Nail Biting as a Cause of Appendicitis
Ingestion of a foreign body is commonly encountered in clinical practice, but most cause no complications, passing spontaneously through the gastrointestinal tract. However, they can cause obstructive signs and symptoms, and surgical intervention for extraction of the foreign body may be required af...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2020-01-01
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| Series: | Case Reports in Surgery |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/3930905 |
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| author | Michael Pagacz Philip Bao Juan Carlos Alvarez Moreno Lydia Howard |
| author_facet | Michael Pagacz Philip Bao Juan Carlos Alvarez Moreno Lydia Howard |
| author_sort | Michael Pagacz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ingestion of a foreign body is commonly encountered in clinical practice, but most cause no complications, passing spontaneously through the gastrointestinal tract. However, they can cause obstructive signs and symptoms, and surgical intervention for extraction of the foreign body may be required after identifying its location. We present here the case of a 49-year-old woman who presented to our emergency room with abdominal pain localizing to the right lower quadrant. Evaluation was most consistent with acute appendicitis, and she underwent uncomplicated appendectomy. A keratin nail with Actinomyces was identified in her appendix. Foreign bodies in the appendix can cause simple appendicitis, perforation, periappendiceal abscess, and peritonitis. Regardless of etiology, an appendectomy often ends up the primary treatment, but unusual and rare causes are worth noting if only for the clinician to be aware of when evaluating the next patient with abdominal pain and considering treatment options or future prevention. Our case is an example of a rare scenario in which an Actinomyces-contaminated human nail lodged in the appendix of a woman eventually resulting in acute appendicitis. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-12dacbc6865a453eb0f6c5b2c4225f76 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2090-6900 2090-6919 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Case Reports in Surgery |
| spelling | doaj-art-12dacbc6865a453eb0f6c5b2c4225f762025-02-03T01:27:05ZengWileyCase Reports in Surgery2090-69002090-69192020-01-01202010.1155/2020/39309053930905Nail Biting as a Cause of AppendicitisMichael Pagacz0Philip Bao1Juan Carlos Alvarez Moreno2Lydia Howard3A.M. Rywlin, MD Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL, USADepartment of Surgery, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach FL, USAA.M. Rywlin, MD Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL, USAA.M. Rywlin, MD Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL, USAIngestion of a foreign body is commonly encountered in clinical practice, but most cause no complications, passing spontaneously through the gastrointestinal tract. However, they can cause obstructive signs and symptoms, and surgical intervention for extraction of the foreign body may be required after identifying its location. We present here the case of a 49-year-old woman who presented to our emergency room with abdominal pain localizing to the right lower quadrant. Evaluation was most consistent with acute appendicitis, and she underwent uncomplicated appendectomy. A keratin nail with Actinomyces was identified in her appendix. Foreign bodies in the appendix can cause simple appendicitis, perforation, periappendiceal abscess, and peritonitis. Regardless of etiology, an appendectomy often ends up the primary treatment, but unusual and rare causes are worth noting if only for the clinician to be aware of when evaluating the next patient with abdominal pain and considering treatment options or future prevention. Our case is an example of a rare scenario in which an Actinomyces-contaminated human nail lodged in the appendix of a woman eventually resulting in acute appendicitis.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/3930905 |
| spellingShingle | Michael Pagacz Philip Bao Juan Carlos Alvarez Moreno Lydia Howard Nail Biting as a Cause of Appendicitis Case Reports in Surgery |
| title | Nail Biting as a Cause of Appendicitis |
| title_full | Nail Biting as a Cause of Appendicitis |
| title_fullStr | Nail Biting as a Cause of Appendicitis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nail Biting as a Cause of Appendicitis |
| title_short | Nail Biting as a Cause of Appendicitis |
| title_sort | nail biting as a cause of appendicitis |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/3930905 |
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