Abstract

AVILA, Mauricio J.  and  GARCIA-ACERO, Mary. Acute appendicitis: review of histopthology in patients in the state of Boyacá, Colombia. rev. colomb. cir. [online]. 2015, vol.30, n.2, pp.125-130. ISSN 2011-7582.

Introduction: Acute appendicitis is one of the leading causes of abdominal pain and is the most common surgical presentation of acute abdomen. Studies on appendicitis in the Latin American populations are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pathological findings of appendicitis in a population in the state of Boyacá, Colombia, and, with deeper detail, those with gangrenous appendicitis. Materials and Methods: Retrospective study of all acute appendicitis specimens in the Department of Pathology at San Rafael Hospital in the city of Tunja, Boyacá, between January and December of 2011. Review of clinical records of patients with gangrenous appendicitis was also performed. Results: During the one year period there were 1,688 histopathology reports of acute appendicitis. All specimens came from seven different areas in the state (departamento) of Boyacá. The results were as follows: acute suppurative appendix (49%,) followed by gangrenous-perforated appendix (24%), normal histology (18%), and edematous appendix (7%). Other histopathological diagnoses (1% of the total sample) were Hodgkin´s lymphoma, endometriosis, neuroma, appendicular tuberculosis, appendiceal adenocarcinoma, and neuroendocrine tumors of the appendix. Discussion: We found that in the state of Boyacá's population, suppurative appendicitis was the most common presentation, followed in frequency by gangrenous appendicitis. The diagnosis by physical examination of gangrenous appendicitis is still a challenge for the clinician. This is the first study that reviews appendicitis samples in one Colombian state.

Keywords : appendicitis; histology; pathology; clinical; appendectomy; Latin America.

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