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Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix, a small, potentially vestigial organ that branches off the large intestine. Inflammation is usually a result of some sort of obstruction in the lumen of the appendix, which ultimately leads to infection.
Inflamed appendix removal by open surgery Laparoscopic appendectomy. Laparoscopic view of a phlegmonous cecal appendix with fibrinous plaques, located in the right iliac fossa. The surgical procedure for the removal of the appendix is called an appendectomy. Appendectomy can be performed through open or laparoscopic surgery.
Ileum, caecum and colon of rabbit, showing Appendix vermiformis on fully functional caecum The human vermiform appendix on the vestigial caecum. The appendix was once believed to be a vestige of a redundant organ that in ancestral species had digestive functions, much as it still does in extant species in which intestinal flora hydrolyze cellulose and similar indigestible plant materials. [10]
Humans have many vestigial body parts that may have been useful for our ancestors but are obsolete for us. Useless body parts explained: Show comments. Advertisement. Advertisement.
The human appendix averages 9 cm (3.5 in) in length, ranging from 5 to 35 cm (2.0 to 13.8 in). The diameter of the appendix is 6 mm (0.24 in), and more than 6 mm (0.24 in) is considered a thickened or inflamed appendix. The longest appendix ever removed was 26 cm (10 in) long. [3]
The appendix, long misunderstood as a vestigial organ, is now recognized as a key MALT structure, playing an essential role in B-lymphocyte-mediated immune responses, hosting extrathymically derived T-lymphocytes, regulating pathogens through its lymphatic vessels, and potentially producing early defenses against diseases. [1]
[1] [2] Patients observe these symptoms and seek medical advice from healthcare professionals. Because most people are not diagnostically trained or knowledgeable, they typically describe their symptoms in layman's terms, rather than using specific medical terminology. This list is not exhaustive.
Murphy's triad is a collection of three signs and symptoms associated with acute appendicitis, a medical emergency which presents with lower right abdominal pain (Right Lower Quadrant; RLQ), along with nausea, vomiting, and fever.