[Clinical signs and diagnosis of acute appendicitis]

Use of the eponyms "Point of McBurney or Lanz" for localisation of abdominal tenderness in appendicits is of little clinical value and confusing to the medical student. "Right lower quadrant" is more appropriate. "Rovsing's sign" and its proposed patho-mechanism are invalid and should be discarded. Differences in axillar and rectal temperatures are non-specific for appendicitis. German surgical textbooks should be revised accordingly.