According to the Mayo Clinic, appendicitis is a condition in which the appendix becomes filled with pus and inflamed. The only treatment is surgical removal of the appendix; appendicitis is the No. 1 cause of emergency abdominal surgery in the United States and usually occurs between the ages of 10 and 30.
Abdominal Pain
The classic sign of appendicitis is abdominal pain, which occurs suddenly and often causes the person to wake from a sound sleep. Usually the first symptom, the abdominal pain starts near the belly button and then radiates to the lower right. This is a unique type of pain and worsens within hours; the pain also worsens during deep breaths, movement, sneezing or coughing.
Other Symptoms
Other signs of appendicitis can include constipation, diarrhea, an inability to pass gas, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, abdominal swelling, and the feeling that a bowel movement will relieve the discomfort. Often a low-grade fever will follow the other symptoms.
Mimicking Signs
Since the symptoms (other than abdominal pain) can vary, the onset of appendicitis can mimic other abdominal pain sources such as inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal obstruction, gynecological disorders such as pelvic inflammatory disease, constipation and intestinal adhesions.
Diagnostic Signs
Upon physical exam, the attending doctor will look for tenderness and pain in specific regions of the abdomen. The responses that can indicate appendicitis include "guarding" or subconscious tensing of the abdominal muscles, tenderness when the abdomen rebounds from hand pressure, an opposite effect of applying pressure to the left side and the feeling of corresponding pain in the right side (Rovsing's sign), resistance applied to the right knee while the patient tries to raise the thigh (Psoas sign) and the Obturator sign, upon which abdominal pain occurs when the doctor asks the patient to move the bent right knee from left to right while in a prone position.
