Atypical presentation of appendicitis in an adolescent cheerleader.
Overview
abstract
A 15-year-old female cheerleader presented to a sports medicine physician for evaluation of a suspected hip flexor injury. Five weeks before presentation, the patient developed acute right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain. She was seen in a local emergency room where her vital signs, abdominal computed tomography, and ultrasound were normal. No definitive diagnosis was made. Her initial symptoms resolved. The patient then attended cheerleading camp where her RLQ pain recurred and she was referred to sports medicine for further evaluation. Her examination was significant for exquisite tenderness at McBurney point. She was referred for surgical evaluation for probable appendicitis.