A retrospective review of the histopathology and clinicopathologic correlates of appendices removed from patients of acute appendicitis.

AIM

Appendicitis is the most common intra-abdominal condition requiring emergency surgery, with a life time risk of about 6%. Although considerable data are available in the literature regarding the histopathology of appendicectomy specimens, such information from the Indian subcontinent remains unreported.

METHODS

A total of 348 consecutive appendices removed because of clinical suspicion of acute appendicitis were selected. Three sections from each specimen were submitted for histopathology. Histopathologic acute appendicitis if present was further classified into 3 subcategories. A retrospective analysis was performed on all these specimens.

RESULTS

The male female ratio was 2.6:1 with highest number of cases in the age group 21-30 years; 282 specimens out of 348 showed features consistent with acute appendicitis with an overall higher occurrence in males. Statistically significant association was obtained between perforation and male sex, older age and acute suppurative appendicitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Present study shows that acute appendicitis in India is a disease of young males. The negative appendicectomy rate is about 10.9%. On further subclassification of acute appendicitis, uncomplicated acute appendicitis seems to be the most common followed by acute suppurative appendicitis.