The present study describes 13 cases of appendicitis in the gravidic-puerperal cycle, at the Maternidade Escola Januário Cicco, from Jan/89 to Dec/96. The cases were assisted by a team of obstetricians and surgeons. Eleven patients were pregnant (4 in the 1st trimester, 6 in the 2nd and 1 in the 3rd) and 2 were in the puerperal period. The incidence was 1/3.422; the age ranged from 18 to 30 years and the majority was nulliparous. The most frequent symptom was abdominal pain (intense or moderate). The appendix was perforated in 6 cases, 2 of them with abdominal wall abscess and 1 patient had an abortion. Pregnancy presented no complications in 9 cases, and delivery occurred at term. The authors observed that appendix perforations occurred more frequently in cases whose symptoms had begun earlier. The authors found that the earlier the diagnosis, the better the prognosis.
Complications in pregnancy; Acute appendicitis; Laparotomy and pregnancy
