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Ileum, caecum and colon of rabbit, showing Appendix vermiformis on fully functional caecum The human vermiform appendix on the vestigial caecum. The appendix was once believed to be a vestige of a redundant organ that in ancestral species had digestive functions, much as it still does in extant species in which intestinal flora hydrolyze cellulose and similar indigestible plant materials. [10]
SEE ALSO: 10 signs you need to call your gyno, stat Appendicitis is odd because the appendix doesn't have a purpose, but a blockage in the lining of the appendix can result in infection and multiply.
The human appendix averages 9 cm (3.5 in) in length, ranging from 5 to 35 cm (2.0 to 13.8 in). The diameter of the appendix is 6 mm (0.24 in), and more than 6 mm (0.24 in) is considered a thickened or inflamed appendix.
Appendicitis symptoms fall into two categories, typical and atypical. [ 37 ] Typical appendicitis is characterized by a migratory right iliac fossa pain associated with nausea, and anorexia, which can occur with or without vomiting and localized muscle stiffness/ generalized guarding . [ 37 ]
In humans, the vermiform appendix is sometimes called a vestigial structure as it has lost much of its ancestral digestive function.. Vestigiality is the retention, during the process of evolution, of genetically determined structures or attributes that have lost some or all of the ancestral function in a given species. [1]
The diagnosis of appendicitis is largely based on the person's signs, and symptoms. [5] In cases where the diagnosis is unclear, close observation, medical imaging , and laboratory tests can be helpful.
Appendicitis: Dunphy's sign is a medical sign characterized by increased abdominal pain with coughing. It may be an indicator of appendicitis. [1]
The symptoms may mimic those of acute appendicitis, diverticulitis, or cholecystitis. The pain is characteristically intense during/after defecation or micturition (espec. in the sigmoid type) due to the effect of traction on the pedicle of the lesion caused by straining and emptying of the bowel and bladder. Initial lab studies are usually normal.