mesenteric adenitis compared with acute appendicitis
Last reviewed 01/2018
Below is a table with clinical features that help with the clinical discrimination between acute appendicitis and mesenteric adenitis. These features will however only provide a guide for the probable cause of a particular clinical presentation.
| ACUTE APPENDICITIS | MESENTERIC ADENITIS | |
| temperature | 37-38 degrees C | above 38 degrees C |
| pharyngitis, cervical adenitis | not present | present |
| headache | not present | present |
| abdominal pain | present+ | present |
| guarding | present | present |
| shifting tenderness | not present | present |
| vomiting | present/not present | not present |
| rebound tenderness | present | not present |