Abstract:

Dysmenorrhea is a common problem experienced by many women on a regular basis. It is characterized by recurrent bouts of crampy abdominal pain that is associated with the menstrual cycle. These episodes can vary in severity and frequency and may require treatment. The objective of this study is to shed light on a case of severe dysmenorrhea that occurred simultaneously with acute appendicitis. The patient underwent appendectomy, but despite this continued to have abdominal pain in the postoperative period. This led to many investigations for possible post-surgical complications that had no yield. The diagnosis of dysmenorrhea was made with help from family members who disclosed that the patient had heavy bleeding and severe crampy menstrual pain associated with nausea and vomiting. This information was unknown to the medical team as this patient did not disclose this information. The coincidence of dysmenorrhea and concurrent acute appendicitis led to difficulty in diagnosing the etiology of the lingering postoperative abdominal pain.

Keywords: appendicitis; cyclic vomiting; dysmenorrhea.

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A Complex Case of Dysmenorrhea and Concurrent Acute Appendicitis

^{Internal Medicine, St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton, USA}

^{Corresponding author.}

Ahmed Elkhouly gro.lacidemsicnarfts@yluohkle.demha

Received 2020 Jun 8; Accepted 2020 Jun 21.

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Abstract

Dysmenorrhea is a common problem experienced by many women on a regular basis. It is characterized by recurrent bouts of crampy abdominal pain that is associated with the menstrual cycle. These episodes can vary in severity and frequency and may require treatment. The objective of this study is to shed light on a case of severe dysmenorrhea that occurred simultaneously with acute appendicitis. The patient underwent appendectomy, but despite this continued to have abdominal pain in the postoperative period. This led to many investigations for possible post-surgical complications that had no yield. The diagnosis of dysmenorrhea was made with help from family members who disclosed that the patient had heavy bleeding and severe crampy menstrual pain associated with nausea and vomiting. This information was unknown to the medical team as this patient did not disclose this information. The coincidence of dysmenorrhea and concurrent acute appendicitis led to difficulty in diagnosing the etiology of the lingering postoperative abdominal pain.

Keywords: dysmenorrhea, appendicitis, cyclic vomiting

Abstract

Notes

The content published in Cureus is the result of clinical experience and/or research by independent individuals or organizations. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein. All content published within Cureus is intended only for educational, research and reference purposes. Additionally, articles published within Cureus should not be deemed a suitable substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional. Do not disregard or avoid professional medical advice due to content published within Cureus.

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The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Consent was obtained by all participants in this study

Human Ethics

References

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