• The mucosa and lumen of the appendix have been replaced by fibrofatty tissue

• Portions of the muscularis show fibrous replacement confirming the post inflammatory reparative nature of the lesion

• There is no evidence of necrosis or acute inflammation

• The original mucosa and lumen can be defined by following muscularis propria (arrow) in its circular course

•See acute appendicitis

•See acute appendicitis

•See acute appendicitis

•Healed appendicitis is rarely found, usually in an appendix incidentally removed

•A previous history of abdominal pain or symptoms consistent with undiagnosed acute appendicitis can often be elicited

•This uncommon lesion commonly resembles a normal appendix on external examination

•The lumen shows fibrous obliteration

•Some cases with marked fibrosis show mild widening of the appendix with an increased grey white appearance to the serosa

•Partial fibrous replacement of the muscularis propria with or without some resolving chronic inflammation is required for the diagnosis as well as fibrous or fibrofatty obliteration of the lumen

•Fibrofatty obliteration of the lumen alone is not considered to represent healed appendicitis and its cause is unknown

• Cotran RS, Kumar V, Robbins SL: Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. 5th ed. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 1994, pp. 823-824

• Current literature from PubMed at National Library of Medicine