Caribbean Medical Journal (Mar 2022)
Histomorphological study of appendectomy specimens in a tertiary care hospital – A retrospective study
Abstract
Objectives The vermiform appendix is a vestigial organ that is present at the posteromedial wall of the caecum. Acute appendicitis is one of the common causes of acute abdominal pain. This condition is more common in young adults age group. Histopathological examination of the appendix helps in confirmation of appendicitis as well as can reveal many incidental findings. Hence this study was undertaken to see the spectrum of histopathological findings in the appendectomy specimens. Methods A retrospective study was conducted in Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry, India to study the histopathological spectra of the appendectomy specimens over a period of two years from Jan 2019 to Jan 2021. Patients’ clinical findings, gross and microscopic findings were recorded. Results A total case of 180 appendectomy specimens was studied. Among the study population, the male to female ratio is 1.25:1. In our study, the peak incidence was found between the age group of 21-40 years. The patient most commonly presented with the symptom of right iliac fossa pain. The most common cause was acute appendicitis followed by acute recurrent appendicitis. We also encountered 3 cases of appendicitis with Enterobius vermicularis which was an incidental finding. A single case of fibrous obliteration of the appendix and tuberculosis of the appendix was reported. Conclusion Histopathological examination of appendectomy specimens is mandatory since they help not only to confirm the diagnosis of acute and acute recurrent appendicitis, but also play an important role in identifying incidental findings which may mandate further treatment.
