Does there exist a "chronic appendicitis" in childhood?

The right lower quadrant abdominal pain and the "chronic" appendicitis in c hildhood and adolescence are frequently connected with a lot of different d iagnostical problems for the treating physician. Since the introduction of diagnostical laparoscopy and laparoscopical appendectomy in our hospital th e rate of appendectomy has been increased to 35 % in case of the histologic al diagnosis of "chronic" appendicitis. A special problem in childhood and adolescence is the request of the parents for clarification of chronic recu rrent pain in their children and therefore the demand of laparoscopy and no t seldom appendectomy. After appendectomy with the pathological-histologica l findings of "chronic" appendicitis children are in 83 % without any abdom inal pain. Therefore the question arises whether there exists a "chronic" a ppendicitis in childhood justifying surgery in these cases. Although the ra te of complications and conversions (3.8 %) in diagnostical laparoscopy and laparoscopical appendectomy is quite low the indication should only be mad e after careful examination considering differential diagnostical problems. In our hospital 56.5 % of the children with the histological diagnosis of "chronic" appendicitis suffered retrospectively on other diseases, that had been caused the symptoms of appendicitis. Before operation the pa rents sh ould be informed on the complications in detail.