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:Healed Appendicitis

Etiology: • See acute appendicitis

Pathogenesis: • See acute appendicitis

Epidemiology: • See acute appendicitis

General Gross Description: • This uncommon lesion commonly resembles a normal appendix on external examination • The lumen shows fibrous obliteration • Some cases with marked fibrosis show mild widening of the appendix with an increased grey white appearance to the serosa

General Microscopic Description: • Partial fibrous replacement of the muscularis propria with or without some resolving chronic inflammation is required for the diagnosis • Fibrous or fibrofatty obliteration of the lumen • Fibrofatty obliteration of the lumen alone is not considered to represent healed appendicitis and its cause is unknown

Clinical Correlations: • Healed appendicitis is rarely found, usually in an appendix incidentally removed • A previous history of abdominal pain or symptoms consistent with undiagnosed acute appendicitis can often be elicited

References: Cotran RS, Kumar V, Robbins SL. Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease, 5th edition. W.B. Saunders. Philadelphia, 1994, pp.823-824