Appendicectomy in childhood: pathology found.
A review of the operation and pathology reports from 500 consecutive childhood appendicectomies by one surgeon revealed true acute appendicitis in 64% of patients, other pathology in 19.8% and normal operation findings and histology in 16.2%. When a normal appendix was found at operation, search of the adjacent peritoneal cavity produced a positive yield in 14% of searches, including abnormality in the small bowel in 4%, in the omentum or mesentery in 3% and in the female pelvic organs in 7%. Of appendices deemed normal by the surgeon 8.7% were histologically inflamed and of those deemed inflamed by the surgeon 3.5% were histologically normal. These figures emphasize the need for a more critical approach to the diagnosis of appendicitis both pre- and peroperatively and of the importance of histological examination of the organ.
Wright
J E
JE
Newcastle Mater Misericordiae Hospital, NSW, Australia.
Rowley
M
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001062:Appendectomy; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D001065:Appendix / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors