[Crohn's disease of the appendix: a rare nosological entity]

In this study, the authors describe a case of Crohn's disease confined to the vermiform appendix out of a total of 1,263 appendectomies performed over the past 10 years in a Clinical Surgery Department (Clinica Chirurgica III) of the Policlinico S. Orsola in Bologna. In agreement with other reports in the scientific literature, the essentially non-specific clinical picture prevents pre-operative identification of the condition, whereas a diagnosis of Crohn's disease can be reached only on the basis of histological characteristics. The extreme rarity of Crohn's disease confined to the appendix is, however, confirmed. Follow-up at 3 years revealed no involvement of other areas of the digestive tract.