Recurrent Painless Haematuria in a Well Child—A Case Report

Abstract

We report a case of appendico-vesical fistula (AVF) in a 12-year-old boy presenting with a 2-month history of solely recurrent painless macroscopic haematuria. Ultrasound and MRI scans were suggestive of an urachus remnant with a calculus in the bladder dome. Cystoscopy showed a bladder diverticulum with mucosal inflammation. Open laparotomy eventually revealed the AVF, as a complication of a clinically ‘silent’ acute appendicitis. AVF is a rare complication of acute appendicitis. A literature review identified 17 further paediatric cases. Whilst faecaluria and pneumaturia are pathognomonic for AVF, these were present in only 24% of patients. Most patients presented with recurrent urinary tract infections or urinary symptoms, and most had a history of abdominal pain and vomiting. Imaging studies and cystoscopy were often inconclusive, and most diagnoses were made at surgery. A high index of clinical suspicion helps to guide diagnosis and treatment.