APPENDECTOMY AND ULCERATIVE-COLITIS

The aetiology of ulcerative colitis (UC) is unknown. However, much int erest has been devoted recently to the relationship between appendicec tomy and ulcerative colitis. A case-control study was conducted, compa ring appendicectomy rates between 110 patients with UC (group 1) and 1 36 patients attending an orthopaedic clinic free from UC (group 2). Th e appendicectomy rates were 0.9% (group 1) and 10.3% (group 2), respec tively (P < 0.002). The present study shows that patients with ulcerat ive colitis had rarely undergone appendicectomy before the first manif estation of colitis. Further research on this relationship is called f or.