Pity the poor appendix, a 2- to 4-inch-long wormlike pouch dangling from the head of the cecum, where the large and small intestines meet. For most of its medical history — anatomists have known about ...

DEAR DOCTOR K: Why do doctors remove the appendix when someone has appendicitis? Don’t we need this organ? DEAR READER: Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix. This small, fingerlike tube ...

The misdiagnosis of appendicitis has been a thorn in the side of doctors for decades. Yet the rates of unnecessary appendectomies aren't improving despite advances in diagnostic technology, according ...

A sudden stomachache, nausea, or fever is often assumed to be food poisoning or indigestion, but these symptoms can sometimes signal a more serious condition—appendicitis. In its early stages, ...