Historical aspects of appendicitis in children.

Evidence of appendicitis exists from ancient Egyptian mummies but the appendix was not discovered as an anatomical entity until the renaissance in Western European literature. Much confusion reigned over the cause of right iliac fossa inflammatory disease until the late 19th century, when the appendix was recognized as the cause of the great majority of cases. Coining the term 'appendicitis' and making the case for early surgery, Fitz in 1886 set the scene for recovery from appendicitis through operative intervention.