Pathophysiology of Acute Appendicitis - Abstract
Background: Acute appendicitis, the most common abdominal emergency
that requires surgical treatment, shows a lifetime risk of 7%. Its overall incidence is
approximately 11 cases per 10,000 individuals per year, and may occur at any age,
although it is relatively rare at the extremes of age.
Method: This article presents a recent-year-review of acute appendicitis, based
on a study of references found in the PUBMED, using the key word of “pathophysiology
of acute appendicitis” as research limitation.
Results: The function of the appendix is not clearly understood, although the
presence of lymphatic tissue on it suggests a role in the immune system. The primary
pathogenic event in most of patients with acute appendicitis is believed to be due to
luminal obstruction. Although being logical and likely to be true, this theory has not
been proven. There is strong epidemiologic evidence supporting the proposition that
perforated and non-perforated appendicitis are separate entities with a different
pathogenesis. Recently, with the advent of neurogastroenterology, the concept of
neuroimmune appendicitis has evolved. Considering that neurogenic disease may not
include inflammatory signs, the name “neurogenic appendicopathy” seems to be a
more appropriate term for appendices of morphological normal aspect in patients
with clinical symptoms of acute appendicitis.
Conclusion: As it can be perceived, based on the large number of studies related
to acute appendicitis, it is not yet established the pathophysiology of this disease More
research is in need to understand this still mysterious disease.