Perforated appendicitis and appendicolith in a child presenting as intussusception: a case report.

Simultaneous diagnoses of intussusception and appendicitis in the same patient have rarely been described in the pediatric literature. A case of a 30-month-old boy is presented with an initial diagnosis of intussusception that was successfully reduced by air contrast enema. When the patient's condition deteriorated, a diagnostic search surprisingly revealed a missed perforated appendicitis with an appendicolith that had been part of the intussusception. The patient's hospitalization and surgical course is described along with a discussion of the intermingling of intussusception and appendicitis in a young child. This case illustrates the need to consider alternative diagnoses when a patient's course takes an unexpected and confusing turn.