Preface

Acute appendicitis, which has been studied and treated for hundreds of years, is still a subject of debate today.

Its clinical presentation is atypical in 30%–40% of cases and diagnostic delays, especially in the elderly, make the diagnosis challenging and often hinder the prevention of complications.

Despite the greater frequency of this disease in children and adolescents, in which the diagnosis is generally simple, acute appendicitis can occur at any age.

The great heterogeneity of the population that can be affected by this disease makes it difficult to establish a universally valid diagnostic procedure. An individualized approach based on age, sex, comorbidities, and clinical manifestations is therefore always necessary.

This book, which includes contributions from experts around the world, takes stock of the current situation in acute appendicitis to help surgeons administer proper and timely treatment.

I sincerely thank the contributing authors without whom this book would not have been possible.

> **Dr. Angelo Guttadauro** University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy

Foreword

Acute appendicitis affects 7% of the world's population, with 1% of those affected undergoing appendectomy. Mortality from appendicitis is 0.3% and increases to more than 1.5% in complicated forms of the disease. Although prevalent in young patients, appendicitis also occurs in the elderly, with clinical pictures that are often

About 60,000 appendectomies are performed in Italy every year. The risk of serious complications, such as peritonitis, leads to an increase in the number of operations, with the risk of unnecessary appendectomies, up to 20-30% of cases. Hence the need to improve diagnosis. From the classic, simple evaluation of symptoms and objectivity, healthcare professionals today use more rigorous methods to diagnosis appendicitis, including Alvarado score and preoperative imaging diagnostics such as ultrasound, which is simple to perform, inexpensive, and has a diagnostic accuracy

I am happy to present this volume edited by Dr. Angelo Guttadauro and written by experts from around the globe. Chapters examine and discuss the diagnosis of acute appendicitis as well as interventions and surgical tactics. This book is a useful

**Francesco Gabrielli**

Full Professor in General Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca,

Professor,

Italy

difficult to diagnose.

of up to 90% when used properly.

reference for gastroenterologists and surgeons.
