Epiploic appendagitis: An overlooked cause of acute abdominal pain

Table 3 Clinical pearls

Clinical pearls
Sudden, localized, non-radiating abdominal pain without significant systemic symptoms raises concern for epiploic appendagitis
Minimal laboratory abnormalities help differentiate it from more prominent inflammatory processes like diverticulitis or appendicitis
Imaging (especially CT) is critical for diagnosis; ultrasound can suggest the diagnosis, particularly in thin patients, but CT remains the gold standard, providing definitive findings to distinguish epiploic appendagitis from other causes of acute abdominal pain
Most cases resolve conservatively without the need for surgery

CT: Computed tomography.