An analysis of the pathology of 3003 appendices

An analysis was made of 3003 appendices seen in a ten-year period (1969-1978) in the Dunedin Hospital Surgical Pathology Laboratory. Acute appendicitis was found to be a disease of the young, with 1385 (80%) cases out of 1711 occurring in patients less than 30 years of age. Faecaliths and lymphoid hyperplasia were found only in a very small percentage of acute appendicitis cases, and this lends further support to the hypothesis that acute appendicitis is a disease of western culture where the diet is low in cellulose. There was no seasonal predilection for acute appendicitis. Other pathological conditions were discussed and illustrated. More normal appendices and more of those exhibiting non-acute conditions were removed from females. The submission of appendices for histological evaluation is a most worthwhile procedure, with a significant yield of unexpected important information.