Acute Abdomen of Non-obstetric Origin in Pregnancy

The definition of “acute abdomen” refers to a specific clinical condition characterized by intense abdominal pain which, regardless of its origin, requires swift surgical treatment in order to be resolved (https://www.alibris.com/Stedmans-Medical-Dictionary-27th-EditionDeluxe-Stedmans/book/30000738). Acute Abdomen in Pregnancy (AAP) is a rare condition but poses a significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The incidence of true, non-obstetric acute abdomen in pregnancy, which requires surgical treatment, is about 0.5–2%. Clinical evaluation of the abdomen in pregnant women is not easy to perform, as fetus growth leads to dislocation and compression of other viscera. It is obvious that assessing and understanding an acute surgical clinical picture in a pregnant woman are very difficult, and failing to identify the problem increases the odds of the patient developing complications, resulting in a higher risk of abortion. Timeliness of the diagnosis and correct choice of surgical treatment are, thus, imperative. In this chapter, we analyze all clinical pictures of Acute Abdomen by means of presentation, diagnostic course, and therapy paying the due attention to the fetus and his health.