[The chronically altered appendix in children. Cooperative work of the Austrian Society for Pediatric Surgery].
In this multicentric study the anamnestic data and parents questionaires of 2-29 children were evaluated, whose appendix vermiformis at the time of operation showed no signs of inflammation. 31,1% macroscopically showed cicatrisation or fasciation, in 13,7% other enteral or gynaecological (1%) findings were present. In 1194 of the cases of patho-histological examination of the appendix had been made of which 36.4% were negative, 37.7% showed cicatrisation, 15,0% oxyuriasis and 10,4% coproliths. In the discussion of the significance of the chronically altered non-inflamed appendix we compared patients with and without macroscopical or microscopical alterations. We came to the conclusion that the probability-index as to sex, duration of symptoms, complexity of symptoms, incidence of postoperative well-being, proved the chronically altered appendix not to be an illness per se, but the result of spontaneously arrested inflammation. Since the rate of children admitted with a perforated appendix is high (15-20%) in comparison with the rate of complications after removal of non-inflamed appendices (2,9%), we believe that according to the diagnostical problems the principle can be maintained: in dubio pro operatione.
D000293:Adolescent; D001062:Appendectomy; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D001065:Appendix / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000473:pathology; D005243:Feces; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010123:Oxyuriasis / Q000473:pathology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011336:Probability; D012189:Retrospective Studies
Die "chronisch veränderte" appendix beim kind. Gemeinschaftsarbeit der Osterreichischen Gesellschaft für Kinderchirurgie.