Retrocecal Appendix Location and Perforation at Presentation

Abstract

Retrocecal appendicitis has been theorized to follow a more insidious course than other anatomic variants. To determine the influence of retrocecal anatomy on clinical course of appendicitis, 200 adult patients treated at a major university medical center with the diagnosis of appendicitis from 2001 to 2004 were retrospectively studied. Computed tomography (CT) scans of adult patients with an ultimate diagnosis of appendicitis were analyzed to determine an association between retrocecal appendix and perforation of the appendix at presentation. A higher perforation rate in the retrocecal group would imply patient delay in presentation from more tolerable symptoms. CT scans were examined for retrocecal location and perforation. No significant association was found between retrocecal anatomy and perforation rates at presentation (chi-square = 2.1, P = 0.15, odds ratio = 1.6, 95% confidence interval [0.8-3.0]). However, the risk of perforation was 60 per cent higher in the retrocecal group. By regression analysis, age and the presence of a fecalith on CT scan were predictors of appendix perforation. Appendix location was not. In this study, we found no significant association between retrocecal appendix anatomy and perforation at presentation.