The Place of Appendicectomy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease-A Review.

Abstract

The aetiology and pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are not completely understood; however, a dysregulated intestinal immune system appears key to its pathogenesis. It has been suggested that the appendix is central to nurturing the enteric mucosal system due to its production of lymphoid products and that an appendicectomy may have an immune modulating effect. The aim of this review is to explore the available evidence for the association between IBD and appendicectomy and attempt to define its impact on the incidence and risk of Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative colitis (UC) onset and progression.