What Does the Appendix Do?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
7. What Is Appendicitis?
Appendicitis is the inflammation of the appendix, which usually starts with an infection. The condition first presents with pain in the abdominal cavity, especially in the center of the abdomen because the appendix is one of the organs that develop from the embryonic midgut.
If you ignore the pain, the inflammation usually becomes more specific, and is increasingly localized to the lower-right quadrant of the abdominal cavity because the inflammation may now also affect the peritoneum. The resultant pain is called rebound tenderness, because it is relieved by putting pressure over it, but becomes severe when you remove this pressure. Additional symptoms of appendicitis include vomiting and fever.
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