Case Report: Acute abdomen in pregnancy—from appendicitis to diagnosed omental infarction

Background Omental infarction in pregnancy (OIP) is rare. Its symptoms, clinical signs, and imaging features are frequently non-specific, posing tremendous diagnostic challenges that are easy to overlook and may lead to severe implications. Improving doctors' understanding of omental infarction facilitates early detection and decreases the likelihood of severe consequences, including death. Case summary We report a case of OIP presenting with right lower abdominal pain that was misdiagnosed as acute appendicitis. The patient underwent a laparoscopic omentectomy and appendectomy. This case aims to help clinicians better understand OIP and reduce the severe consequences of delayed diagnosis. Through timely surgical exploration, physicians can achieve early identification of OIP and initiate surgical intervention, thereby decreasing the devastating repercussions of a delayed diagnosis. Conclusion This article aims to improve clinicians' understanding of OIP and propose a method for the diagnosis and treatment of OIP, while underscoring the value of diagnostic laparoscopy in establishing a definitive diagnosis when non-invasive modalities are inconclusive.