Case presentation emphasizes the cognitive pitfalls in diagnosing appendicitis, suggesting improved understanding might reduce misdiagnoses.
Objectives The misdiagnosis of appendicitis remains frequent. Better understanding of its clinical evolution over time would decrease the incidence of misdiagnosis. Case Presentation At the Society to Improve Diagnosis in medicine conference in Cleveland Ohio in October 2023, Alice Tapper and her father, CNN journalist Jake Tapper, presented her case of misdiagnosed appendicitis. Thanks to meticulous notes and a detailed timeline, the case vividly demonstrates the protean nature of appendicitis as well as the cognitive pitfalls of clinicians who treat it. Conclusion McBurney's point tenderness is over-emphasized as the key to the diagnosis of appendicitis.
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Dajer et al. (2025) studied this question.
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