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Clinical communication| Volume 20, ISSUE 3, P241-245, April 2001

Left lower quadrant pain of unusual cause1

  • Michael J. Nelson
    Correspondence
    Reprint Address: Michael J. Nelson, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, Saint Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center, 153 West 11th Street, New York, NY 10011
    Affiliations
    Department of Emergency Medicine, Saint Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center, New York, New York, USA

    New York Medical College, New York, New York, USA
    Search for articles by this author
  • Gene R. Pesola
    Affiliations
    Department of Emergency Medicine, Saint Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center, New York, New York, USA

    New York Medical College, New York, New York, USA
    Search for articles by this author

      Abstract

      The differential diagnosis of left lower quadrant abdominal pain in an adult man includes, among others, sigmoid diverticulitis; leaking abdominal aortic aneurysm; renal colic; epididymitis; incarcerated hernia; bowel obstruction; regional enteritis; psoas abscess; and in this rare instance, situs inversus with acute appendicitis. We report a case of situs inversus totalis with left-sided appendicitis and a brief review of the literature. There were several subtle indicators of total situs inversus present that were missed by the physicians and surgeons who initially evaluated the patient prior to surgery. Computed tomography scan with contrast, however, revealed the diagnosis immediately, and treatment was successfully initiated.

      Keywords

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