Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Analysis of Neonatal Appendicitis

NIU Ming; DUAN Jiajia; WANG Bin; WEI Sifan; WANG Jinguang; LI Weibo

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1004-437X.2026.12.005

Abstract：Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of neonatal appendicitis and improve the level of early clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods Clinical data of 64 neonates with appendicitis admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Clinical indicators were compared between the surgical group and the non-surgical group,the perforation group and the non-perforation group,as well as between patients with and without neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC).Results The common early clinical manifestations in the 64 neonates were abdominal distension(60.9％)and poor response(59.4％).There were statistically significant differences in the first and second serum C-reactive protein levels after symptom onset between the surgical and non-surgical groups.There was no statistically difference inclinical date between the perforated and non-perforated groups of children(P＞0.05).Of the 64 neonates,16 were complicated with NEC.Significant differences were found in gestational age,birth weight and onset time between neonates with and without NEC.Conclusion Neonatal appendicitis has nonspecific clinical manifestations.For neonates presenting with abdominal distension,poor response and other symptoms,imaging and peripheral blood examinations should be performed in a timely manner and reviewed dynamically.Timely surgery may be required for patients with significantly elevated C-reactive protein.NEC is the most common complication of appendicitis.Neonates with appendicitis complicated with NEC have smaller gestational age,lower birth weight and later onset time.