To date, medicine has studied almost every centimeter of the human body. The purpose and functions of each organ and cell are determined. However, for a long time, one of the mysteries of the human body was the so-called appendix of the cecum. Doctors struggled over the definition of its functions for decades. Despite all the “mystery” of this process, one of the most common inflammatory processes in the human peritoneal cavity is associated with it.
Anatomy of the appendix and cecum
The cecum is the first section of the large intestine. It is presented as a saccular formation, which is located under the ileoceral valve (the place of demarcation of the small and large intestine). Depending on the human body, its length can vary between 3-8 cm. The appendix is leaving the cecum. It is also called the appendage of the cecum.
Despite this strange name, most people know the name of the appendix. It is called the appendix.
This is the name of the rudimentary organ of a person who has lost its digestive function over the course of evolution. It is located at the junction of the ileum into the large intestine: on the right side of the peritoneum.
On average, its length reaches 8-10 cm, although there are cases when it was 50 cm.
What is the appendix of the cecum for?
Until the middle of the twentieth century, physicians did not even have an idea of why a person needs an appendix. It got to the point that after birth, the child was immediately removed, since it was believed that there was nothing to expect from this organ, except for harm. However, such drastic measures brought unexpected results: children who were cut out of the appendix, significantly lagged behind their peers in development. In addition, a person without an appendix was more likely to suffer from gastrointestinal diseases.
With the development of medicine, the question of the need for a vermiform appendix of the cecum in humans has disappeared, since its main function has been clarified. Despite the fact that he does not directly participate in the digestion process, its main function is the cultivation of bacteria necessary for humans.
Since the appendix contains lymphoid clusters that are responsible for the fact that immune cells are delivered to the intestine, it is involved in eliminating the processes of intestinal inflammation and the entire digestive tract.
Inflammation
Everyone knows what the inflammation of the vermiform appendix of the cecum is called, and what it is. This is appendicitis.
There are two clinical and anatomical forms of the disease: acute and chronic.
Acute appendicitis is inflammation in the appendix of the cecum, which develops against the background of a change in the biological ratio between the human body and microbes. Acute appendicitis is one of the most common diseases in the abdominal cavity and requires immediate surgical intervention.
Chronic appendicitis is rare. He is considered a complication of previously unexplored inflammation of the appendix. The process of inflammation is delayed.
According to the classification of the doctor of medical sciences, professor Vasily Ivanovich Kolesov, both acute and chronic inflammation, in turn, are divided into subspecies.
Types of acute appendicitis:
- Catarrhal - only the serous membrane of the process becomes inflamed.
- Destructive - inflammation spreads in the thickness of the appendix, can be phlegmatic, gangrenous or perforated.
- Complicated - sepsis occurs, abscesses of the peritoneal cavity, local or common peritonitis.
Types of chronic appendicitis:
- Primary chronic - the development of inflammation stops at the initial stage and does not go into acute form.
- Recurrent - attacks of acute appendicitis are periodically repeated, but their form is more lubricated.
- Residual - arises as a result of an attack of acute appendicitis, which was stopped without medical intervention.
Causes of appendicitis
The risk group for appendicitis consists of elderly people, as well as women 20-40 years old. The development of inflammation of the appendix of the cecum can cause a number of reasons. These include:
- Congenital inflection of the appendix or its excessive mobility.
- Blockage of the appendix with food particles that remained undigested.
- Abdominal injury.
- Various infectious diseases (typhoid fever, tuberculosis, etc.).
- Hypersensitivity of the appendix against the background of the restructuring of the immune system.
- Diseases caused by parasites (ascariasis, opisthorchiasis, etc.).
- Intestinal diseases associated with tumors.
- Inflammatory processes in the walls of blood vessels.
Stages of Appendicitis
The first stage of inflammation of the appendix of the cecum is simple appendicitis. Cramps at this stage may not be strong, so patients often do not seek help from doctors. As a result, the further development of the inflammatory process.
Simple appendicitis flows into a phlegm form. It is accompanied by the filling of the appendix with pus, the formation of ulcers on its walls and the spread of inflammation to the tissues that surround the appendix.
In severe cases, there is a transition from phlegm to gangrenous form of appendicitis. From a pus-filled process, inflammation spreads throughout the abdominal cavity. At this stage, the pain goes away, since the death of nerve cells of the inflamed appendix has occurred. Instead, a general deterioration of the human condition begins against the background of intoxication of the body.
If the patient does not receive medical care at this time, the appendix can break through and all the pus will spill into the abdominal cavity, resulting in a general infection of the blood. In case of refusal to the patient, this can be fatal.
Symptoms of inflammation of the appendix
Appendicitis has many symptoms, but pain on the right side comes first. Depending on the position of the process, pain can be felt in different places. So, if it is located normally, pains are felt in the right iliac region, if high, it hurts almost under the ribs, if it is bent back - in the lumbar region, it drops down - pain occurs in the pelvic region. Also, pain intensifies with laughter and coughing.
In addition to pain, symptoms of appendicitis include:
- Feeling of nausea.
- Desires for vomiting.
- Constipation or diarrhea.
- Body temperature increase.
- Blood pressure jumps.
- Increased heart rate.
- Lack of appetite.
- Bloating.
- Tension of the abdominal wall.
- The presence of a white or brownish coating on the tongue.
Diagnosis of appendicitis
First of all, the doctor collects a complete medical history. Characteristic of appendicitis is increased pain in the appendix area during palpation: the doctor abruptly releases his hands after pressing on the peritoneum in the appendix area.
In addition, there are a number of measures aimed at diagnosing appendicitis:
- Conducting a clinical blood test. The level of leukocytes is checked, since an increase in their number in the blood indicates the presence of infectious processes in the body.
- Clinical analysis of urine in order to detect red blood cells, white blood cells and bacteria in urine, and then draw conclusions corresponding to the results.
- X-ray examination of the abdominal organs: although rare, fecalitis can be detected, which can lead to inflammation of the appendix of the cecum.
- Ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity makes it possible to see the full picture of what is happening, however, identification of signs of appendix inflammation is possible only in 50% of cases.
- A CT scan is the most reliable and painless way to diagnose inflammation and rule out other possible diseases that are similar in symptoms.
- Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure using a micro-video camera, which gives a three-dimensional image of the abdominal cavity.
To date, there is no way that makes it possible to diagnose appendix inflammation with 100% certainty. That is why, in case of suspected appendicitis, the doctor uses the whole range of available diagnostic tools.
Treatment
When a patient is taken to a medical institution, first of all, he will have to go through the above points, namely a blood test, urine, an x-ray of the abdominal cavity. This is necessary because another disease may be hidden behind the symptoms of appendicitis.
If after all the examinations the doctor makes a diagnosis of acute appendicitis, then the patient will have surgery to remove the appendix.
There are two ways to remove the process: traditional and endoscopic.
In the process of conducting a traditional operation, the surgeon makes an incision of 8-10 cm in length and removes the appendix, the place where he was attached to the intestine is sutured.
Endoscopic surgery is performed using a thin tube with a camera. It is inserted into the abdominal cavity through a small hole and gives an image of the operation on the monitor. The advantage of endoscopic surgery is a short postoperative period.
The possibilities of modern medicine allow you to write out a patient with appendicitis the day after surgery. In case of a rupture of the appendix, the patient is left in the hospital for a week, during which he will be given antibiotics to help fight the infection.
Prevention
Following the following rules will help prevent the development of inflammation of the appendix of the cecum:
- Prevent the occurrence of constipation, since the result may be the death of microflora not only of the large intestine, but also of the appendix.
- Do not neglect the basic rules of personal hygiene. According to doctors, the most common cause of appendicitis is an infection that can be avoided by following the simplest rules.
- Conduct morning exercises. Exercise will help set up the intestines and the appendix itself to work.
- Sharp rises from a bed are not recommended.
- Periodically do massage of the abdomen. This will improve blood supply to the process of the cecum and accelerate the movement of food in the intestine.
In addition, a healthy and active lifestyle is another element in the prevention of appendicitis . Fresh air, running, swimming, exercising, and other attributes of an active life provide normal blood supply to the digestive tract and the appendix in particular.