A Case of Epiploic Appendagitis of the Ascending Colon

Ken-ichiro Fukuda, Katsuya Deguchi, Chohei Sakakura, Akero Hagiwara and Hisakazu Yamagishi

Department of Digestive Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine

A 61-year-old woman with progressive, persistent pain in the right lower abdomen was suspected of panperitonitis causing diverticulitis. Computed tomography (CT) showed oval fat density with a hyperattenuating ring adjacent to the ascending colon. Exploration showed a 6 cm×5 cm epiploic appendage on the ascending colon dark red with swelling because of torsion and adherence to the parietal peritoneum. The lesion was removed. Histopathological examination showed marked appendage congestion, hemorrhage, necrosis, and acute inflammation, leading to a diagnosis of epiploic appendagitis, a rare inflammatory disease. Clinical findigns are often similar to those of acute appendicitis or diverticulitis. CT findigns of oval fat density with a hyperattenuating ring adjacent to the colon are very useful for diagnosing epiploic appendagitis.

Key words
epiploic appendagitis, CT, acute abdomen

Reprint requests
Ken-ichiro Fukuda Department of Digestive Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine 465 Kajii-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8566 JAPAN

Accepted
June 25, 2002

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