Perforated acute appendicitis in a patient with AIDS/HIV infection: report of a case

Surg Today. 1995;25(1):62-4. doi: 10.1007/BF00309388.

Abstract

We report herein the case of a 40-year-old man with AIDS who was admitted to hospital with severe abdominal pain, fever, and chills. He underwent an emergency laparotomy which revealed a perforated appendix with suppurative peritonitis. An appendectomy with peritoneal drainage was carried out, but the postoperative course was complicated by fever without leukocytosis; however, he gradually improved following treatment with intravenous antibiotics, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and immunoglobulins, and made a complete recovery. His postoperative course demonstrates the effectiveness of this treatment regimen for patients with AIDS complicated by infection without an increase in the white blood cell count (WBC).

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / complications*
  • Acute Disease
  • Adult
  • Appendectomy
  • Appendicitis / complications
  • Appendicitis / microbiology*
  • Appendicitis / surgery
  • Cilastatin / therapeutic use
  • Cilastatin, Imipenem Drug Combination
  • Drug Combinations
  • Drug Therapy, Combination / therapeutic use
  • Escherichia coli Infections / complications*
  • Fever of Unknown Origin / therapy
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Imipenem / therapeutic use
  • Immunization, Passive
  • Intestinal Perforation / complications*
  • Intestinal Perforation / surgery
  • Male
  • Postoperative Complications / therapy
  • Rupture, Spontaneous

Substances

  • Drug Combinations
  • Cilastatin
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor
  • Imipenem
  • Cilastatin, Imipenem Drug Combination