Operative management of appendiceal mass and abscess in children: More complications
Topic overview
Systematic review comparing non-operative treatment versus early appendectomy for appendiceal mass/abscess in children. Non-operative management showed lower complication rates but increased hospital stay and readmissions. Evidence quality is limited, requiring larger prospective studies to determine optimal treatment strategy.
Key takeaways
- Non-operative treatment of appendiceal mass/abscess in children shows lower overall complication rates than early appendectomy (RR 0.37).
- Non-operative management leads to longer hospital stays (0.2-8.4 days) and higher readmission rates, though not statistically significant.
- Without interval appendectomy, recurrence rate reaches 34% over 3+ years of follow-up in pediatric patients.
- Current evidence is low-quality with substantial heterogeneity; optimal treatment strategy remains uncertain and requires large prospective trials.
- Most studies routinely performed interval appendectomy after non-operative treatment, limiting data on conservative management alone.
Comments