Appendicitis
This section is about
Diseases
and Disorders of the Digestive System.
To read about other diseases, disorders, or conditions of the digestive
system, use the links on the left-side of this page.
See also glossary pages about
Tissues
and Organs of the
Digestive System.
Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix.
Types of Appendicitis:
Acute Appendicitis became common in the 20th century (approx. the last 100 years), usually affecting young people, including children. Unusual positions of the appendix may result in pain at different locations, causing difficulty in diagnosis.
Chronic Appendicitis was a common diagnosis in the 1950s - 1970s to explain recurrent pains in the lower abdomen. Chronic appendicitis is rare and such pains are not usually cured by an appendicectomy.
Effects (incl. Symptoms):
- The first symptom is usually abdominal pain, initially central, then later (with tenderness) in the right-lower abdomen, over the appendix.
- Abdominal pain is sometimes accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea -
though any fever is slight.
If not treated by surgical removal (appendicectomy) of the appendix, appendicitis may progress to cause an abscess, or generalised peritonitis. Recurrent pains in the lower abdomen might also be expected.
More about the Digestive System:
This section includes pages about:
- Introduction to the Digestive System
- Terminology about Digestion
- Passage through the alimentary tract
- Component Parts of the Digestive System, incl. Teeth, Stomach, Liver, Small Intestine, Large Intestine
- Chemical Processes in the Digestive System (introductory level)
- Diseases and Disorders of the Digestive System
For further information see also our pages of books about gastroenterology.
