Acute appendicitis in Nigerian children

This study reports on 46 cases of acute appendicitis in children during a nine year period (1963-1971) in the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. The disease does not appear to be (yet) a common paediatric surgical problem here. The clinical features are similar to those reported for other populations, though there was a tendency to late presentation with a more advanced stage of the disease. A review on the aetiology of acute appendicitis, clinical features, diagnosis, course and prognosis in children is also presented.