Acute appendicitis in four children with SARS-CoV-2 infection

Jessica S Meyer; Grant Robinson; Shannon Moonah; Daniel Levin; Eugene McGahren; Katye Herring; Melinda Poulter; Linda Waggoner-Fountain; Debbie-Ann Shirley

doi:10.1016/j.epsc.2020.101734

Acute appendicitis in four children with SARS-CoV-2 infection

J Pediatr Surg Case Rep. 2021 Jan:64:101734. doi: 10.1016/j.epsc.2020.101734. Epub 2020 Nov 26.

Authors

Jessica S Meyer¹, Grant Robinson², Shannon Moonah³, Daniel Levin⁴, Eugene McGahren⁴, Katye Herring⁵, Melinda Poulter⁶, Linda Waggoner-Fountain⁷, Debbie-Ann Shirley⁷

Affiliations

¹ Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
² Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
³ Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
⁴ Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
⁵ Division of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
⁶ Division of Laboratory Medicine/ Clinical Laboratories, Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
⁷ Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.

Abstract

We describe 4 children (11-17 years in age) at our institution with acute appendicitis in the setting of SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting a possible association. Providers should consider testing for this infection in patients with severe gastrointestinal symptoms, in order to take appropriate transmission based precautions, until more is understood.

Keywords: ACE2, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; Appendicitis; COVID-19; COVID-19, novel coronavirus disease 2019; CT, computed tomography; ED, emergency department; HEPA, high-efficiency particulate air; IV, intravenous; MIS-C, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children; NP, nasopharyngeal; PCR, polymerase-chain-reaction; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Publication types

Case Reports

Grants and funding

K08 AI119181/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States