Acute Appendicitis in an 86-Year-Old Patient: Uncommon Age for a Common Disease

Abstract

Appendicitis, an inflammation of the vermiform appendix, is one of the most common causes of acute abdomen and one of the most frequent indications for emergency abdominal surgery worldwide. Any person older than 65 years old is considered elderly. The elderly population constitutes only 5-10% of total appendicitis cases. The symptoms depend on the location of the appendix. Generally, lower abdominal pain and anorexia are known to be the most common symptoms of appendicitis. Although young adults have a higher prevalence of appendicitis, the elderly have a higher complication rate, 37.5% versus 43.97%. In this article, we report a case of appendicitis in an 86-year-old gentleman known to have type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and prostate cancer. The patient was managed successfully after a complicated hospital course and discharged in an improved and stable condition.