Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. The appendix is a small pouch attached to the beginning of your large intestine.
Causes, incidence, and risk factorsAppendicitis is one of the most common causes of emergency abdominal surgery in the United States. It usually occurs when the appendix becomes blocked by feces, a foreign object, or rarely, a tumor.
SymptomsThe symptoms of appendicitis vary. It can be hard to diagnose appendicitis in young children, the elderly, and women of childbearing age.
Typically, the first symptom is pain around your belly button. (See: Abdominal pain) The pain may be vague at first, but becomes increasingly sharp and severe. You may have reduced appetite, nausea, vomiting, and a low-grade fever.
As the inflammation in the appendix increases, the pain tends to move into your right lower abdomen and focuses directly above the appendix at a place called McBurney's point.
If your appendix ruptures, the pain may lessen briefly and you may feel better. However, once the lining of your abdominal cavity becomes inflamed and infected (a condition called peritonitis), the pain gets worse and you become sicker.
Your abdominal pain may be worse when walking or coughing. You may prefer to lie still because sudden movement causes pain.
Later symptoms include:
If you have appendicitis, your pain will increase when the doctor suddenly releases the pressure after gently pressing on your lower right belly area. If you have peritonitis, touching the belly area may cause a spasm of the muscles.
A rectal examination may reveal tenderness on the right side of your rectum.
Doctors can usually diagnose appendicitis by your description of the symptoms, the physical exam, and laboratory tests. In some cases, additional tests may be needed. These may include:
Note: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalled a drug used during some appendicitis-related imaging tests after reports of life-threatening side effects and deaths. The drug, called NeutroSpec, was used to help diagnose appendicitis in patients ages 5 and older who may have had the condition but did not show the usual signs and symptoms.
TreatmentIf you have an uncomplicated case, a surgeon will usually remove your appendix soon after your doctor thinks you might have the condition. For information on this type of surgery see: appendectomy.
Because the tests used to diagnose appendicitis are not perfect, sometimes the operation will reveal that your appendix is normal. In that case, the surgeon will remove your appendix and explore the rest of your abdomen for other causes of your pain.
If a CT scan shows that you have an abscess from a ruptured appendix, you may be treated for infection and have your appendix removed after the infection and inflammation have gone away.
Expectations (prognosis)If your appendix is removed before it ruptures, you will likely get well very soon after surgery. If your appendix ruptures before surgery, you will probably recover more slowly, and are more likely to develop an abscess or other complications.
ComplicationsCall your local emergency department or emergency medical service (such as 911) if:
Call your health care provider if you develop abdominal pain in the lower-right portion of your belly, or any other symptoms of appendicitis. Also call your doctor if:
Bundy DG, Byerley JS, Liles EA, Perrin EM, Katznelson J, Rice HE. Does this child have appendicitis? JAMA. 2007 Jul 25;298(4):438-51. Review.
Ebell MH. Diagnosis of appendicitis: part 1. History and physical examination. Am Fam Physician. 2008 Mar 15;77(6):828-30. Review.
Lyon C, Clark DC. Diagnosis of acute abdominal pain in older patients. Am Fam Physician. 2006 Nov 1;74(9):1537-44. Review.
Prather C. Inflammatory and anatomic diseases of the intestine, peritoneum, mesentery, and omentum. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 145.
US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Issues Public Health Advisory on use of NeutroSpec, [Technetium (99m TC) Fanolesomab], Imaging Agent for Diagnosis of Appendicitis. Rockville, MD: National Press Office; December 19, 2005. Press Release P05-104.
Appendicitis is swelling (inflammation) of the appendix. The appendix is a small pouch attached to the beginning of your large intestine.
Causes, incidence, and risk factorsAppendicitis is one of the most common causes of emergency abdominal surgery in the United States. It usually occurs when the appendix becomes blocked by feces, a foreign object, or rarely, a tumor.
SymptomsThe symptoms of appendicitis can vary. It can be hard to diagnose appendicitis in young children, the elderly, and women of childbearing age.
The first symptom is often pain around your belly button. (See: Abdominal pain) The pain may be minor at first, but it becomes more sharp and severe. Your appetite will be reduced, and you may have nausea, vomiting, and a low fever.
As the swelling in the appendix increases, the pain tends to move into your right lower abdomen. It focuses right above the appendix at a place called McBurney's point. This most often occurs 12 to 24 hours after the illness starts.
If your appendix breaks open (ruptures), you may have less pain for a short time and you may feel better. However, once the lining of your abdominal cavity becomes swollen and infected (a condition called peritonitis), the pain gets worse and you become sicker.
Your pain may be worse when you walk or cough. You may prefer to lie still because sudden movement causes pain.
Later symptoms include:
If you have appendicitis, your pain will increase when the doctor gently presses on your lower right belly area. If you have peritonitis, touching the belly area may cause a spasm of the muscles.
A rectal exam may find tenderness on the right side of your rectum.
Doctors can usually diagnose appendicitis by:
In some cases, other tests may be needed, including:
If you do not have complications, a surgeon will usually remove your appendix soon after your doctor thinks you might have the condition. For information on this type of surgery, see: Appendectomy.
Because the tests used to diagnose appendicitis are not perfect, sometimes the operation will show that your appendix is normal. In that case, the surgeon will remove your appendix and explore the rest of your abdomen for other causes of your pain.
If a CT scan shows that you have an abscess from a ruptured appendix, you may be treated for infection. You will have your appendix removed after the infection and swelling have gone away.
Expectations (prognosis)If your appendix is removed before it ruptures, you will likely get well very soon after surgery. If your appendix ruptures before surgery, you will probably recover more slowly, and are more likely to develop an abscess or other complications.
ComplicationsCall your health care provider if you have abdominal pain in the lower-right portion of your belly, or any other symptoms of appendicitis. Also call your doctor if:
Ben-David K, Sarosi GA Jr. Appendicitis. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2010:chap 116.
Bundy DG, Byerley JS, Liles EA, Perrin EM, Katznelson J, Rice HE. Does this child have appendicitis? JAMA. 2007;298:438-451.
Krajewski S, Brown J, Phang PT, Raval M, Brown CJ. Impact of computed tomography of the abdomen on clinical outcomes in patients with acute right lower quadrant pain: a meta-analysis. Can J Surg. 2011;54:43-53.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 07/22/2011
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
You may never have given much thought to your appendix, the little pouch that's attached to the top of your large intestine. And you wouldn't have much reason to think about it, because it doesn't seem to do anything. But if your appendix were to become swollen and inflamed, it would probably move to the front of your mind. The pain of appendicitis can make you quickly, and unpleasantly, familiar with this organ.
You can get appendicitis if your appendix becomes blocked. That blockage could be from feces, a foreign object, or, in rare cases, a tumor. When your appendix is blocked up, bacteria that normally live inside it start multiplying like crazy, and cause an infection.
If you've got appendicitis you'll usually have pain that's centered around the area of your belly button. At first the pain may be minor, but it can get very severe and will usually drift downward to the bottom right part of your abdomen. You may also have nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, and a low fever.
Your pain may let up for a time. This relief can be misleading, though. Just when you think you're getting better, your appendix may have actually burst. If that's the case, the pain will get start to get more and more intense.
To diagnose appendicitis, your doctor will ask about your symptoms and press on your abdomen, which will feel very tender. You may need imaging tests, such as a CT scan or ultrasound of your abdomen, so the doctor can see if the problem is with your appendix.
If you have appendicitis, the number one way to treat it is with surgery to remove your appendix. In fact, appendicitis is the number one cause of emergency abdominal surgery in the U.S. You may be treated for an infection first, before your surgery.
It's important to treat the appendicitis quickly because you can develop a collection of pus called an abscess in your abdomen once your appendix bursts. Don't worry about going through life without an appendix. People live healthy lives without it.
Once you've had your appendix taken out, you should feel a lot better. If your appendix has ruptured, it may take you longer to recover. You may also develop an abscess or other complications. That's why you don't want to wait until your appendix has already burst to get treated. Call your doctor for any severe pain in your abdomen, especially if you also have a fever, vomiting, constipation, dizziness, or other severe symptoms.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 10/25/2011
Alan Greene, MD, Author and Practicing Pediatrician; also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Appendicitis that is not yet as serious as acute appendicitis.
i want to know where the appendicitis come from? how do you stop the appendicitis?
what are the reaction on appendicitis
There is no known vaccine for appendicitis.
No, the noun appendicitis is a common noun, a word for any case of appendicitis in anyone.
He doesn't have enough money for appendicitis operation. He is suffering from appendicitis, which is an inflammation of the appendix.
The medical term for the appendix is, appendix.
Yes the word appendicitis is a noun. It is a common noun.
Some attacks of appendicitis are mild and transient.
You do not catch appendicitis from other people.
The appendectomy operation is the treatment of choice for appendicitis.
Acute appendicitis is most common acute abdominal emergency.