Is acute Appendicitis as an extra Pulmonary Manifestation of Covid-19 infection?

Abstract

Background; Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is an infectious respiratory disease. The first confirmed case of 2019-nCoV infection in Albania was reported in Tirana on 08 March 2020, when a patient and his adult son who had come from Florence, Italy tested positive. Patients with COVID-19 can be presented with a series of signs and symptoms. Acute abdomen as a presentation of COVID-19 is rare. The diagnosis of COVID-19 should be suspected and investigated in every case of acute abdomen.
Case presentation: We report a case of a 42-year-old male who presented with features of acute appendicitis. SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction test result was positive for COVID-19. Abdominal ultrasonography and his computed tomography of the chest and abdomen showed a perforated appendix and no infiltrates or abnormalities of COVID-19. The diagnosis of our case was appendicitis with COVID-19 without pneumonia. He was admitted and treated with antibiotic therapy and supportive care. He had an improvement in his health condition which made it possible to leave the hospital on the third day of hospitalization.
Conclusion: Based on our clinical case and literature data, we suggest that clinicians should suspect the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in patients with COVID-19. So the case of acute abdomen pain must be completed with a SARS-CoV-2 test. Therefore we recommend additional studies to reinforce the idea of ​​linking SARS-COV 2 infection with acute appendicitis.