Appendix and Caecum - large intestine Flashcards
what is the appendix?
a narrow blind-ended tube attached to the posteromedial end of the caecum (large intestine)
what abdominal area are the appendix and cecum found in?
right iliac fossa
what is the position of the appendix?
variable but most often retrocaecal
variability = account for different ways appendicitis presents
where is the appendicaecal orific?
on the posteromedial wall of the caecum
what does the appendicaecal orifice correspond to?
McBurney’s point on the anterior abdominal wall (1/3 was between R ASIS and umbillicus)
what is the histology of the appendix?
less crypts than the rest of the caecum
typically a circular arrangement of lymphoid tissue - in submucosa and often lamina propria
lymphoid ring declines with age
what is the function of the appendix?
it has a large amount of lymphoid tissue but not enough to have a vital function
