Brief Article
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World J Gastroenterol. Jul 7, 2013; 19(25): 4015-4022
Published online Jul 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i25.4015
Unusual histopathological findings in appendectomy specimens from patients with suspected acute appendicitis
Mehmet Yilmaz, Sami Akbulut, Koray Kutluturk, Nurhan Sahin, Ebru Arabaci, Cengiz Ara, Sezai Yilmaz
Mehmet Yilmaz, Sami Akbulut, Koray Kutluturk, Cengiz Ara, Sezai Yilmaz, Department of Surgery, Liver Transplant Institute, Inonu University Faculty of Medicine, 44280 Malatya, Turkey
Nurhan Sahin, Ebru Arabaci, Department of Pathology, Inonu University Faculty of Medicine, 44280 Malatya, Turkey
Author contributions: Yilmaz M, Kutluturk K, Ara C and Yilmaz S performed the surgical procedure; Akbulut S, Ara C and Yilmaz M wrote the article, conducted the literature search and detailed review of all articles; Akbulut S, Yilmaz M and Yilmaz S designed the study and contributed to manuscript preparation; Sahin N and Arabaci E performed the statistical analysis.
Correspondence to: Sami Akbulut, MD, Department of Surgery, Liver Transplant Institute, Inonu University Faculty of Medicine, 44280 Malatya, Turkey. akbulutsami@gmail.com
Telephone: +90-422-3410660 Fax: +90-422-3410036
Received: January 12, 2013
Revised: May 1, 2013
Accepted: May 9, 2013
Published online: July 7, 2013
Processing time: 58 Days and 5.7 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Appendectomy is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures worldwide. Although most of the resected appendectomy specimens show typical histopathologic findings, some (< 2%) show unusual histopathologic findings. The most common of these unusual features are primary or secondary appendiceal malignancies, mucocele, enterobisis, schistosomiasis, ascariasis, tuberculosis, amobiasis, and entometriosis. While some of the patients with unusual histopatholic findings require close follow-up and/or additional surgical treatment, others also necessitate antimicrobial therapy. Infectious appendicitis is responsible for a significant majority of the most commonly observed unusual features, especially in cases from developing nations in geographic regions with tropical and sub-tropical climates. Therefore, regardless of the underlying etiology, the results from histopathological examination of the resected appendectomy specimen may help guide the subsequent management of cases to prevent serious appendicular diseases.