The clinical and histopathological records of children who underwent appendectomy following suspicion of appendicitis at the Department of Pediatric Surgery

In addition to the familiar acute inflammation of the appendix, chronic inflammation has long been a controversial disease entity. However, some recent reports announced that chronic recurrent appendicitis is by no means an established disease of the appendix. Therefore, we reviewed our appendectomies in children to determine the underestimated cases of chronic recurrent appendicitis and discuss this disease entity in children. The records of children who had undergone appendectomy upon initial clinical diagnosis of appendicitis were reviewed for a period of 42 months. Incidental appendectomies were excluded. The diagnoses of acute appendicitis, negative explorations and chronic recurrent appendicitis were made on clinical and histopathological grounds. Of 72 children who underwent appendectomy, three cases showed chronic inflammation of the appendix, five cases showed normal appendix and the remaining were of acute inflammation histopathologically. Three girls of eight, 10 and 12 years old also had clinical presentation of chronic recurrent appendicitis with previous similar attacks of right lower abdominal pain and vomiting and showed relief of these symptoms in the postoperative follow-up. For children with previous similar attacks of right lower abdominal pain and vomiting chronic recurrent appendicitis should be considered in differential diagnosis after a thorough clinical examination.