Operation with appendectomy for appendiceal mass carries a high risk of complications compared with conservative treatment or drainage .
Drainage may lower the risk of treatment failure but entails a risk of complications .
INTRODUCTION The treatment strategy for appendiceal mass is controversial , ranging from operation or image-guided drainage to conservative treatment with or without antibiotics .
The aim of this study was to assess the various treatment modalities with respect to complications and treatment failure .
Initial laparoscopic appendectomy versus initial nonoperative management and interval appendectomy for perforated appendicitis with abscess: a prospective, randomized trial.
INTRODUCTION Perforated appendicitis is a common condition in children , which , in a small number of patients , may be complicated by a well-formed abscess . Initial nonoperative management with percutaneous drainage/aspiration of the abscess followed by intravenous antibiotics usually allows for an uneventful interval appendectomy . Although this strategy has become well accepted , there are no published data comparing initial nonoperative management ( drainage/interval appendectomy ) to appendectomy upon presentation with an abscess . Therefore , we conducted a r and omized trial comparing these 2 management strategies . METHODS After internal review board approval ( # 06 11 - 164 ) , children who presented with a well-defined abdominal abscess by computed tomographic imaging were r and omized on admission to laparoscopic appendectomy or intravenous antibiotics with percutaneous drainage of the abscess  ( when possible ) , followed by interval laparoscopic appendectomy approximately 10 weeks later . This was a pilot study with a sample size of 40 , which was based on our recent volume of patients presenting with appendicitis and abscess . RESULTS On presentation , there were no differences between the 2 groups regarding age , weight , body mass index , sex distribution , temperature , leukocyte count , number of abscesses , or greatest 2-dimensional area of abscess in the axial view . Regarding outcomes , there were no differences in length of total hospitalization , recurrent abscess rates , or overall charges . There was a trend toward a longer operating time in patients undergoing initial appendectomy ( 61 minutes versus 42 minutes mean , P = .06 ) . CONCLUSIONS Although initial laparoscopic appendectomy trends toward a requiring longer operative time , there seems to be no advantages between these strategies in terms of total hospitalization , recurrent abscess rate , or total charges
Operation with appendectomy for appendiceal mass carries a high risk of complications compared with conservative treatment or drainage .
Drainage may lower the risk of treatment failure but entails a risk of complications .
INTRODUCTION The treatment strategy for appendiceal mass is controversial , ranging from operation or image-guided drainage to conservative treatment with or without antibiotics .
The aim of this study was to assess the various treatment modalities with respect to complications and treatment failure .