X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Doctors shocked when girl’s appendicitis turned out to be worms

8 Jul, 2016
Doctors shocked when girl’s appendicitis turned out to be worms

As they were about to take the appendix out, they noticed that its color was “lily white" instead of pink or red.

Appendicitis is a common enough condition that no one anymore bats and eyelash at the mention of it.

That was why when a teenage girl started to experience its typical symptoms (abdominal pain, nausea), she went to the hospital to have it taken care of.

According to an article published on BMJ Case Reports, however, the doctors weren’t entirely convinced that it was appendicitis causing her discomfort.

The case report said:

“Non-specific abdominal pain could also be due to irritable bowel syndrome; however, there was no bloating, change in bowel habit or obvious psychological stressors at home.

“Urinary tract infections can cause similar symptoms, but there was no frequency or dysuria and the urinary investigations ruled out this differential.

“The patient reported no gynaecological symptoms and she was not in the right stage of her cycle for mittelschmerz (mid-cycle pain) to be a likely cause.

“Other differentials for abdominal pain, including inflammatory bowel syndrome, Meckel’s diverticulum and ovarian cysts, were not supported by the history, examination and investigation findings.”

Since her pain wasn’t going away and they did not want to risk a life-threatening bout with appendicitis, the doctors decided to take out her appendix anyway.

Watch the cringe-worthy video of the surgery on the next page

As they were about the take it out, they noticed that its color was “lily white.” Normally an appendix is pink- or red-hued.

Then another surprise greeted the doctors: a “multitude of worms” emerged from her appendix.

“They swiftly removed the appendix and sucked up any stray worms with a suction pipe, preventing them from falling into her abdominal cavity,” a Daily Mail report said.

Doctors revealed that the teen was suffering from an intestinal infection called pinworm, caused by tiny parasitic worms. Also called threadworms, they are the most common parasitic worms in the US and UK.

Although they are not harmful, they are highly contagious, entering the body when people accidentally ingest microscopic pinworm eggs found on contaminated hands and surfaces, underwear, toilets, kitchen counters and food.

The eggs then travel into the digestive tract and hatch in the small intestine.

“From the small intestine, pinworm larvae continue their journey to the large intestine, where they live as parasites, with their heads attached to the inside wall of the bowel,” the Daily Mail report said.

As for the teenage girl, she made full recovery and her abdominal pain, as well as other symptoms, disappeared.

If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below or check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful parenting news and tips . 

Partner Stories
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
Singapore's Dengue Cases Surpass The 35,000 Mark, Highest Since 2013
Singapore's Dengue Cases Surpass The 35,000 Mark, Highest Since 2013
Typhoon Haiyan relief effort
Typhoon Haiyan relief effort

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

James Martinez

  • Home
  • /
  • News
  • /
  • Doctors shocked when girl’s appendicitis turned out to be worms
Share:
  • What Causes Appendicitis: Symptoms, Complications and Treatment

    What Causes Appendicitis: Symptoms, Complications and Treatment

  • How Do You Know if Your Child Has Worms: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment

    How Do You Know if Your Child Has Worms: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

    Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

  • What Causes Appendicitis: Symptoms, Complications and Treatment

    What Causes Appendicitis: Symptoms, Complications and Treatment

  • How Do You Know if Your Child Has Worms: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment

    How Do You Know if Your Child Has Worms: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

    Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.