RECURRENT APPENDICEAL COLIC

Abstract

From 1962-1983, 1869 appendectomies were performed. Careful review disclosed 11 patients (0.6%) who had an appendectomy for recurrent pain in the right lower abdominal quadrant not associated with other classical symptoms of appendicitis. Seven patients had an urgent diagnostic Ba enema during the course of the episode of pain for which they had an appendectomy and 6 of the 7 were abnormal. All of the patients exhibited gross abnormality of the appendix, such as fecalith (4), torsion or linking of the appendix (3), narrowed lumen (3) and purulent material in the lumen (1). Three specimens were thought to be histologically normal. In a follow-up study of 10 of 11 patients for 2 wk to 20 yr, there was no recurrence of the abdominal pain in all but 1 patient.