{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T04:04:34Z","timestamp":1777435474573,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,19]],"date-time":"2025-11-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763510400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":18,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100020917","name":"MBRU","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["pending"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["pending"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100020917","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Case Rep"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,23]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Neonatal appendicitis is a rare and often life-threatening condition due to its non-specific presentation and diagnostic overlap with other neonatal abdominal pathologies. We describe a case of a previously healthy full-term female neonate who presented with fever and progressive abdominal distension. Imaging revealed pneumoperitoneum, prompting emergency exploratory laparotomy, which identified a perforated appendix with no other anomalies. An appendectomy was performed, and the patient recovered uneventfully with intravenous antibiotics and supportive care. We also present a brief review of the literature to highlight the diagnostic challenges, role of imaging and the importance of early surgical intervention in improving outcomes for this rare condition.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2025-268813","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,24]],"date-time":"2025-11-24T02:05:15Z","timestamp":1763949915000},"page":"e268813","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Perforated neonatal appendicitis: an uncommon surgical emergency"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4741-4377","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fatemeh","family":"Akbarpoor","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-8786-5246","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jonathan","family":"Mokhtar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Elham","family":"Bashiri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ann","family":"Mathew","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Laila","family":"Zarnegar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-8897-7927","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maryam","family":"Alabdullah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rand","family":"Al Bawwab","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ahmad A","family":"Obada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Saddam Central Teaching Hospital for Children, Baghdad, Baghdad Governorate, Iraq"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ahmed","family":"Zubar Zain","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Nahrain University, Baghdad, Baghdad Governorate, Iraq"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hussein","family":"Naji","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE"},{"name":"Mediclinic Parkview Hospital, Dubai, UAE"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025112318050697000_18.11.e268813.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Haider F , Ayoub B , Al Kooheji M , et al . 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