Intraluminal duplication cyst of the terminal ileum imitating acute appendicitis: a rare clinical case presentation

Abstract

Duplication cysts are rare congenital cystic lesions that form along the gastrointestinal tract at various locations. They may be asymptomatic, present with ambiguous symptoms, or mimic other clinical presentations, such as acute appendicitis. We present a unique case of an 11- year-old boy with a preliminary diagnosis of acute perforated appendicitis and abdominal abscess; however, the patient’s appendix was unremarkable during surgery, and he was later found to have an intraluminal duplication cyst within the distal ilium extending into the ileocecal valve. Follow-up imaging with abdominal ultrasound helped guide the diagnosis, and an ileocecal resection proved to be curative.

Keywords: Enteric duplication cyst, intraluminal duplication cyst, appendicitis, ultrasound, case report