Appendicitis classification

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Farwa Haideri [2]

Overview[edit | edit source]

Appendicitis may be classified based on based on the duration of symptoms, based on etiology of obstruction and based on whether appendix has been perforated or not.

Classification[edit | edit source]

Based on cause of Obstruction[edit | edit source]

Appendicitis may be classified based on the etiology of obstruction into:^[1]

• Infectious appendicitis - Obstruction of appendicial lumen is due to infectious inflammation^[2].
• Fibrosis appendicitis- Scar tissue from a previous surgery can lead to obstruction.
• Fecaliths appendicitis - Hard fecal masses block the outlet of appendix
• Neoplasic appendicitis - Carcinoid, adenocarcinoma, or mucocele is responsible for increased secretions resulting in blockage.
• Parasitic appendicitis- In endemic areas obstruction of the appendicial lumen is due to parasitic load.
• Calculic appendicitis
• Lymphoid hyperplasic appendicitis Obstruction of lumen due cell hyperplasia.

Based on Perforation[edit | edit source]

Appendicitis may be classified based on perforations or non-perforations^[3].

Perforating appendicitis

• The appendiceal wall has been compromised due to pressure and inflammation and the intraluminal contents have leaked out into the peritoneal cavity.
• Increases in incidence with age and is associated with the following types of bacterial infiltration:^[4]
  • Escherichia coli
  • Peptostreptococcus
  • Bacteroides fragilis
  • Pseudomonas species

Non-perforating appendicitis

• Inflammation is contained within the appendix; no intraluminal contents have leaked out.

Based on duration of symptoms[edit | edit source]

Appendicitis may be classified based on duration of symptoms into:

Acute appendicitis[edit | edit source]

• Symptoms have existed less than 48 hours.

Non acute appendicitis

•  Symptoms have existed for days or weeks, or have recurred several times.

References[edit | edit source]

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