249MANAGEMENT OF AN EARLY APPENDICULAR LUMP IN CHILDREN: A COMPARISON OF LAPAROSCOPIC VERSUS OPEN SURGERY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A LOW-MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRYAcute abdominal pain affects about 5% of children who visit pediatric and emergency departments, and appendicitis accounts for 12.7 percent of all acute causes, making it the most common reason for abdominal surgery. In cases of acute appendicitis, appendicular lumps are found in 2%–10% of cases. An appendicular lump is a form of acute appendicitis that is formed by an inflamed appendix surrounded by greater momentum, bowel loops including edematous cecal wall and ileum, and can be felt as a tender mass in the right iliac fossa on the third day of inflammation. The terms appendix mass, appendicular mass, and appendiceal lump have all been used interchangeably in the literature. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of different surgical procedures (laparoscopic vs. open surgery) for treating early appendicular lump in children in a low-middle-income country. From April 2018 to October 2018, a hospital-based, prospective, observational study was conducted in the Department of General Surgery, Paediatric Surgical ward, Government Thiruvannamalai Medical College and Hospital. During this time, all children aged 2–12 years who were admitted and diagnosed with an appendicular lump in this department were included in the study. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in clinical features, examination findings, or investigation findings between patients in the OA group with complications versus those without complications, implying that selection bias was not present. Nonetheless, these may have a negative impact on the severity of pain and the rate of complications. Because this was a single-center study.drpkraj@yahoo.co.ukResearch822018Early Appendicular Lump,Laparoscopy,Open SurgeryDr. P. Kuppuraj, M.S., M.Ch.Assistant Professor, Department of General Surgery, Government Thiruvnnamalai Medical College and Hospital, Thiruvannamalai – 606604, Tamilnadu, India