Are acute exacerbations of chronic inflammatory appendicitis triggered by coprostasis and/or coproliths?

Aim: To examine the role of coprostasis and coproliths in recurrent appendicitis.

Methods: We evaluated four hundred and twenty seven consecutive pathology reports of all appendectomy specimens from January 2003 to December 2004. Findings were categorised as showing acute appendicitis, acute recurrent appendicitis, subacute recurrent appendicitis, chronic appendicitis, or appendices without inflammation. All patients had presented with acute right lower quadrant pain. In 94 instances, there was a history of recurrent similar episodes in the past.

Results: Of the 427 histology reports, 294 were inter-preted as showing acute appendicitis, 56 acute recurrent appendicitis, 34 subacute recurrent appen-dicitis, 28 chronic appendicitis, and 15 non-inflamed appendices. Coprostasis was observed in 58 patients (13.58%) and the presence of coprolith in 6 (1.4%). Coprostasis, and age, were among the predictors in the final model.

Conclusion: Coprostasis but not coproliths seems to be a contributing factor to acute exacerbations of chronic inflammatory appendicitis.