Appendicitis in children less than 5 years old: influence of age on presentation and outcome

Abstract Purpose Appendicitis is the most common emergency surgical condition of the abdomen in children. This study sought to delineate the presentation and the outcome of appendicitis in children younger than 5 years old. Methods A retrospective review was conducted of all children younger than 5 years of age who underwent appendectomy for acute appendicitis over a 12-year period. Results One thousand eight hundred thirty-six patients younger than 19 years of age underwent appendectomy. Two hundred eighty-one children with an age range of 6 months to 4.9 years were included in this study. Perforation rates were higher in the younger patients (86%