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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Surg.

Sec. Visceral Surgery

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2025.1646625

The Uncertain Fate of a Wandering Appendicolith: A Case Report and Literature Review

Provisionally accepted
Andrea Sebastiano CavallaroAndrea Sebastiano Cavallaro1Antonio ZanghiAntonio Zanghi1*Paolo Di MattiaPaolo Di Mattia2,3Filippo SanfilippoFilippo Sanfilippo1Luigi La ViaLuigi La Via4Giordana RiccioliGiordana Riccioli4Alessandro CappellaniAlessandro Cappellani1Kenya TiralongoKenya Tiralongo4
  • 1Universita di Catania Dipartimento di Chirurgia Generale e Specialita Medico Chirurgiche, Catania, Italy
  • 2Universita degli Studi di Enna 'Kore', Enna, Italy
  • 3Azienda Sanitaria Provinciale di Enna, Enna, Italy
  • 4Universita degli Studi di Catania Scuola Facolta di Medicina, Catania, Italy

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Retained appendicoliths are an uncommon but clinically relevant complication of appendectomy, particularly in cases of perforated appendicitis. Migration of the appendicolith into the peritoneal cavity or liver may lead to persistent or recurrent abscess formation.We present the case of a 29-year-old male with recurrent hepatic abscesses following laparoscopic appendectomy. Initial CT and MRI imaging revealed calcified components within the liver consistent with a migrated appendicolith. Despite percutaneous drainage and antibiotic therapy, the patient experienced relapse. Definitive resolution was achieved through laparoscopic hepatic resection and removal of the retained appendicolith.This case highlights the diagnostic challenges and potential complications associated with retained appendicoliths. Imaging plays a crucial role in identification and management. While conservative approaches may be attempted, surgical retrieval is often required to prevent recurrent infections. Conclusion: Retained appendicoliths should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hepatic abscesses following appendectomy. Timely diagnosis and complete removal are essential to avoid long-term morbidity.

Keywords: retained appendicolith, Hepatic abscess, Laparoscopic appendectomy, recurrent infection, case report

Received: 13 Jun 2025; Accepted: 27 Jun 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Cavallaro, Zanghi, Di Mattia, Sanfilippo, La Via, Riccioli, Cappellani and Tiralongo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Antonio Zanghi, Universita di Catania Dipartimento di Chirurgia Generale e Specialita Medico Chirurgiche, Catania, Italy

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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