Asian Journal of Case Reports in Surgery

Atypical Presentation of Appendicitis Revealing a COVID-19 Infection

Fakhar Shahid

Department of Acute Care Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar.

Khalid Ahmed

Department of Acute Care Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar.

Zubair Shahid

Department of Internal Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar.

. Inamullah

Department of Acute Care Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar.

Syed Muhammad Ali *

Department of Acute Care Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar.

Zia Aftab

Department of Acute Care Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

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Abstract

COVID-19 can present in many ways that need to be recognized early, to protect the medical staff from exposure/infection, by isolation of affected patients. We report a case, who presented with acute abdominal pain and on investigations was found to have features of acute appendicitis, without any pulmonary symptoms, and tested positive for COVID-19. He was treated conservatively for appendicitis with antibiotics and recovered well but developed full blown COVID-19 pneumonia after three days. This report signifies that COVID-19 infections may present as acute abdominal pain and appendicitis, in our case, the screening protocol helped us to identify this patient and helped to avoid exposure and possible infection to healthcare staff and avoidance of presumably unnecessary appendectomy. 

Keywords: COVID-19, abdominal pain, atypical presentation, appendicitis.

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