title: Absence of the appendix discovered during childhood.
abstract: Absence of the appendix is rare. Isolated cases are usually discovered in adult patients or cadavers. We report the case of a 14 year old boy who was found to have no appendix on laparotomy for assumed acute appendicitis and use this opportunity to highlight the growing surgical uses of this vestigial structure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Martindales Road, St Michael, BB1115 Barbados.
authors.forename: Michelle V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Martindales Road, St Michael, BB1115 Barbados.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Martindales Road, St Michael, BB1115 Barbados.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Martindales Road, St Michael, BB1115 Barbados.
authors.forename: Selma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jackman