A 50-year-old male presents with persistent right lower quadrant pain. He has a history of appendicitis treated conservatively with antibiotics a year ago. CT scan shows a mass in the right lower quadrant. What could be the cause?
The patient's symptoms and imaging findings suggest that he may have developed an appendiceal abscess or stump appendicitis, which is inflammation of the residual appendiceal tissue after conservative management or incomplete appendectomy. This is a rare but known complication of treating appendicitis without surgery. This condition requires surgical intervention, usually along with antibiotics.