Walker A R, Segal I
Department of Tropical Pathology, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburgh, South Africa.
J Clin Gastroenterol. 1990 Apr;12(2):127-9.
Appendicitis was rare in the past and still is in traditional Third World populations. It began to increase a century ago, peaked about 1950, and has now fallen to about half its previous incidence. As to causation, dietetically, it was contended that the increase was promoted primarily by an associated fall in dietary fiber intake. The recently advanced hygiene hypothesis considers the increase to have stemmed from improvements in hygiene, generally; these limited exposure to enteric infections and modified response to virus infections, thereby triggering appendicitis. Major uncertainties still prevail over the promotive and precipitating factors of the disease. It is doubtful whether individuals can take any action to avoid appendicitis.
阑尾炎在过去很罕见，在传统的第三世界人群中现在仍然如此。一个世纪前它开始增多，在1950年左右达到顶峰，现在已降至之前发病率的一半左右。关于病因，从饮食方面来看，有人认为发病率的上升主要是由于膳食纤维摄入量相应减少所致。最近提出的卫生假说总体上认为发病率的上升源于卫生条件的改善；这减少了肠道感染的暴露，并改变了对病毒感染的反应，从而引发了阑尾炎。对于该疾病的促发因素和诱发因素，仍然存在重大不确定性。个人是否能够采取任何行动来避免患阑尾炎，这一点尚不确定。
