Typhlitis; is it just in immunocompromised patients?

BACKGROUND

Typhlitis is necrotizing inflammation of the cecum manifested by febrile right lower quadrant abdominal pain. All cases in literature have been described in immunocompromised such patients with hematological or solid malignancies, patients with neutropenia, patients with AIDS, and patients following immunosuppressive therapy for transplants.

CASE REPORT

We report a case of a 72 year old non-immunocompromised patient who developed fever, nausea, vomiting and severe right lower quadrant pain. Computed Tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis showed circumferential thickening of the cecum as well as inflammatory stranding of the adjacent mesenteric fat. The patient was treated with fluids and antibiotics. The patient's symptoms resolved over a period of few days.

CONCLUSIONS

We believe this case represents an example of typhlitis in non-immunocompromised patient, the first such case reported. Therefore, typhlitis may present in elderly patients even in the absence of neutropenia or immunosuppression.