A total of 277 cases of acute appendicitis admitted from January 1st to December 31st 1998 at Zewditu Memorial Hospital (ZMH) were reviewed. Sixteen (5.8%) had presented with a right lower quadrant mass, which was managed conservatively while 261 (94.2%) had emergency surgery. At operation, it was found that 184 (70.6%) had simple appendicitis, 45 (17.4%) had perforated and 25 (9.5%) gangrenous appendices. Seven 2.5%) had appendicular abscesses with amputated stump left.
The male to female ratio was 2.6:l. The patients' ages ranged between 13 and 75 with the peak occurring between 13-30 years. The most common symptoms were abdominal pain, (100%) and vomiting (76.9%). The commonest signs were localized tenderness in right lower quadrant (92.4%) with rebound tenderness (70.4%). Digital rectal examination was done in 127 patients in whom tenderness was elicited in 80 (63%) of them. The approach to the appendix in 78.9% of operations was through a transverse incision at McBurney's point. In ZMH, appendectomy was found to be the commonest emergency abdominal operation accounting for 46.7% of cases and carried a postoperative mortality rate of 1.2%.
