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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Murine Ileocolic Bowel Resection with Primary Anastomosis
Published on: October 29, 2014
Appendectomy is followed by increased risk of Crohn's disease
Roland E Andersson1, Gunnar Olaison, Curt Tysk
1Department of Surgery, County Hospital Ryhov, SE-551 85 Jönköping, Sweden. roland.andersson@ltjkpg.se
Background & Aims:
Appendectomy is associated with a low risk of subsequent ulcerative colitis. This study analyzes the risk of Crohn's disease after appendectomy.
Methods:
We followed-up 212,218 patients with appendectomy before age 50 years and a cohort of matched controls, identified from the Swedish Inpatient Register and the nationwide Census, for any subsequent diagnosis of Crohn's disease.
Results:
An increased risk of Crohn's disease was found for more than 20 years after appendectomy, with incidence rate ratio 2.11 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-3.79) after perforated appendicitis, 1.85 (95% CI, 1.10-3.18) after nonspecific abdominal pain, 2.15 (95% CI, 1.25-3.80) after mesenteric lymphadenitis, 2.52 (95% CI, 1.43-4.63) after other diagnoses. After nonperforated appendicitis, there was an increased risk among women but not among men (incidence rate ratio 1.37; 95% CI, 1.03-1.85, respectively, 0.89, 95% CI, 0.64-1.24). Patients operated on before age 10 years had a low risk (incidence rate ratio 0.48, 95% CI, 0.23-0.97). Crohn's disease patients with a history of perforated appendicitis had a worse prognosis.
Conclusions:
Appendectomy is associated with an increased risk of Crohn's disease that is dependent on the patient's sex, age, and the diagnosis at operation. The pattern of associations suggests a biologic cause.
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