Chronic Appendicitis

The Results of Removing a “Normal” Appendix

“…for urgent cases and 59 per cent. for elective cases is similar to that quoted by Shelley (1938) and Alvarez (1940). The only serious complication was one case of intestinal obstruction resulting from adhesions.…”

“…Many clinicians refuse to accept chronic appendicitis as a clinical entity. Shelley (1938) studied the case records of 1890 patients who had their appendix removed as an incidental procedure during abdominal operations for other disease. None of Shelley's patients had any clinical feature suggesting present or past appendiceal disease, yet in two-thirds there was a definite pathological change in the appendix.…”

Acute Appendicitis in Pregnancy

“…One-third of the male patients have perforative appendicitis, compared with one-fifth of the females. Three-quarters of all cases of so-called chronic appendicitis occurbetween 11 and 30 years of age, and two-thirds of these are females (Shelley, 1938). Appendicitis, therefore, is a less severe condition in women, resulting in fewer and less advanced cases of acute appendicitis and more cases of chronic appendicitis of doubtful significance., The incidence of pregnancy among women with acute appendicitis is about 2% (Baer et al, 1932).…”