Abstract

We reviewed 2159 consecutive cases of surgically resected appendices. The appendectomy specimen consisted of 91 cases of acute focal appendicitis (5.4%), 926 cases of acute suppurative appendicitis (55.1%), 228 cases of acute gangrenous appendicitis (13.6%), 63 cases of periappendicitis (3.8%), 13 cases of pure fibrous obliteration of the lumen (FOL; 0.8%), 18 cases of other diseases (7 mucoceles, 2 mucinous cystic neoplasms, 4 carcinoids, 2 metastatic carcinomas, 2 tuberculous appendicitides, and 1 eosinophilic appendicitis; 1%), and 342 cases with no diagnostic abnormality (20.3%). Patients having acute appendicitis ranged from 3 to 84 years of age, and patients in their 10's and 20's occupied over half of 2159 cases. Diagnostic accuracy of the acute appendicitis was 79.7%. Incidence of the acute appendicitis was suspected to be 7.2/100,000/year. Twenty eight cases of acute appendicitis were associated with diverticula. In the former acute primary diverticulitis led to acute appendicitis in 14 of 28 cases. Among 478 incidental appendectomy cases, there were 3 acute focal appendicitides, 1 acute suppurative appendicitis, 1 eosinophilic appendicitis, 32 periappendicitides, 1 mucocele, 40 pure FOLs, 1 deciduosis, 1 endometriosis, and 1 diverticulosis without inflammation. There were 69 cases of FOL (32 complete forms and 37 incomplete forms), among which 13 cases were associated with acute appendicitis. FOL was more frequent in female patients as well as patients over 40 years of age. Incomplete FOL was considered to progress to complete form with age. The incidence of appendiceal diverticula was higher, whereas the incidences of carcinoid tumor and FOL were lower compared with that in the western report. In 14 of 28 cases the appendiceal diverticulum was the site in which acute appendicitis began.

• Keywords: Appendix;Pathology;Acute appendicitis;Diverticulum;Fibrous obliteration of the lumen