Serosal appendicitis: incidence, causes and clinical significance.

Background: Serosal appendicitis is a histopathological diagnosis of an inflammatory reaction on the surface of the appendix caused by an extra appendiceal source of inflammation.

Objective And Methods: A retrospective review of a pathology database in a district general hospital identified patients with serosal appendicitis and a preoperative diagnosis of appendicitis. Two groups emerged: patients with serosal appendicitis secondary to a known cause of intra-abdominal inflammation and those in whom the cause remained unknown.