Appendicitis classification
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Charmaine Patel, M.D. [2]
Overview
Appendicitis may be classified at three levels. As appendicitis often results from appendiceal obstruction leading to necrosis and infection, it may be classified based on the cause of the the obstruction. It also can be classified based on the organism causing this infection, or on whether it is perforating or non-perforating.
Classification Based on Type of Obstruction
- Infectious processes
- Fibrosis - such as due to scar tissue from a previous surgery.
- Fecaliths - hard fecal masses.
- Neoplasia - carcinoid, adenocarcinoma, or mucocoele.
- Parasites - in endemic areas.
- Calculi
- Lymphoid hyperplasia
Classification Based on Perforation
- Perforating - increases in incidence with age [1], and associated with the following types of bacterial infiltration:
- Escherichia coli
- Peptostreptococcus
- Bacteroides fragilis
- Pseudomonas species
- Non-perforating