The diagnosis of acute appendicitis is difficult during pregnancy particulary in older patients -or obese women, and its delayed diagnosis may cause fetal and/or maternal deaths.
Twenty-nine cases of-acute appendicitis during pregnancy which had been admitted to the Severance Hospital during 10 years from 1958 to 1968 are analyzed clinically with reviewing references.
The results are as follows:
1. The incidence -of acute appendicitis during-pregnancy is 0.41 per cent which´-is higher than those of other authors.
2. More than half of the cases (51.,7%) had symptoms or signs of acute appendicitis on at least one occasion in the past and were treated conservatively. Y
3. Fetal wastage were 4 out: of 29 cases or 13.8,% mortality. Peritonitis developed in three of them due to rupture of appendix by delayed treatment.
4. When acute appendicitis is suspected by its symptoms, signs, past history, and Alder´s test, the surgical treatment is recommendable as soon as possible to prevent further complications.
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