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It is possible for matter to become lodged in the appendix, leading to bacterial infection, which can cause appendicitis. If the condition is untreated, the appendix can turn gangrenous and can eventually burst, leading to peritonitis, septicemia and eventually death.
The pain of appendicitis usually starts centrally (periumbilical) before localising to the right iliac fossa (the lower right side of the abdomen). There is usually associated anorexia (loss of appetite). Fever is usually present. Nausea, vomiting and diarrheaDiarrhea in American English, (spelt diarrhoea elsewhere) is a condition in which the sufferer has frequent and watery bowel movements. This condition can be a symptom of injury, disease or foodborne illness and is usually accompanied by abdominal pain, a may or may not occur, but make the diagnosis more likely.
There is typically pain and tenderness in the right iliac fossa. Rebound tendernessRebound tenderness is a clinical sign resulting from physical examination of the abdomen. Abdominal pain is aggravated by stretching or moving of the parietal layer of the peritoneal membrane. Palpation over the area can be extremely painful, with the ove may be present suggesting that there is some element of peritonealIn higher vertebrates, the peritoneum is the membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity it covers most of the intra-abdominal organs. The corresponding tissues in the pleural and pericardial cavities of the thorax are called the pleura and the irritation. If the abdomen is guarded, there should be a strong suspicion of peritonitis requiring urgent surgical intervention.
Diagnosis is based on history and physical examination backed by blood testBlood tests are laboratory tests done on blood to gain an appreciation of disease states and the function of organs. Since blood flows throughout the body, providing oxygen and other nutrients, and drawing waste products back to the excretory systems fors and other diagnostic procedures.
The classical physical finding in appendicitis is diffuse pain in the umbilical region which can become localised at McBurney's pointMcBurney's point is the name given to the point over the human abdomen that is one-third the distance from the ASIS ( anterior superior iliac spine) to the umbilicus. Patients with acute appendicitis usually have tenderness at this point. Eponymous anatom if the inflammed appendix comes into contact with the parietal peritoneum. This point is located on the right-hand side one-third of the distance between the anterior superior iliac spine and the navelFor the plant of this name, see Umbilicus rupestris. The umbilicus also called the navel is essentially a scar representing the former attachment of the umbilical cord in the fetus. Colloquial terms for navel are belly button and tummy button. It can form, or approximately one hand's width.
Other methods include a digital rectal exam, where a finger is inserted into the rectum - if there is right sided tenderness (where the appendix normally lies), it makes it more likely that the patient has appendicitis.
Other signs used in the diagnosis of appendicitis are the psoas sign (common in retrocecal appendicitis), the obturator (internus) sign, Blomberg's sign and Rovsing's sign.
Ultrasonography and Doppler sonography also provide useful means to detect appendicitis, but in a not neglectable minority of cases (15% approximately), especially those in an early stadium without fluid build-up, an ultrasonography of the iliac fossa region do not reveal abnormalities despite of present appendicitis. Yet, sonographic imaging can often distinguish between appendicitis and another disease with very similar symptoms, namely the inflammation of the lymph nodes near the appendix.