THE AETIOLOGY OF ACUTE APPENDICITIS. IS ALLERGY THE MISSING LINK? A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Authors

  • Nuno Carvalho Serviço de Cirurgia Geral, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa. Portugal http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9325-0145
  • Filipe Borges Serviço de Cirurgia Geral, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa. Portugal http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5529-2045
  • Beatriz Costa Serviço de Cirurgia Geral, Unidade de Cuidados Cirúrgicos Intermédios, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina de Coimbra, Portugal; Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Universidade de Coimbra; Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Universidade de Coimbra; Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1321-3278
  • Paulo Matos Costa Serviço de Cirurgia Geral, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa. Portugal http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7550-8285

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34635/rpc.893

Keywords:

appendicitis, allergy, aetiology, hypersensitivity type 1 reaction, immune reaction, immune response

Abstract

Acute appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency. Since the work of Fitz in the XIX century it has been assumed that luminal obstruction is the main pathological event. However, this theory has been recently challenged by some new insights that suggest that an allergic reaction can be one of the possible causes or co-factors. The current knowledge on the aetiology of acute appendicitis was reviewed in this article, with a special emphasis on allergic features.

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Author Biographies

Nuno Carvalho, Serviço de Cirurgia Geral, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa. Portugal

 

Filipe Borges, Serviço de Cirurgia Geral, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa. Portugal

 

Beatriz Costa, Serviço de Cirurgia Geral, Unidade de Cuidados Cirúrgicos Intermédios, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina de Coimbra, Portugal; Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Universidade de Coimbra; Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Universidade de Coimbra; Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal

 

Paulo Matos Costa, Serviço de Cirurgia Geral, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa. Portugal

 

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2022-03-13

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