Analysis of Risk Factors for Appendicitis in Children: A Multicenter Epidemiological Study

Objectives: In our study, the assessment of age, gender, incidence and seasonal differences in the regions related to appendicitis were investigated. Methods: 676 patients that received an operation following a diagnosis of appendicitis in 3 hospitals from 3 different regions of Turkey occurring at different dates were examined retrospectively after being categorized by region. The differences among groups were compared to each. Results: The mean age of male (63%) (n = 426) and female (37%) (n = 250) patients (total = 676) was 10.8 years (range, 1–18 years). The percentage of female patients in the The Black Sea Region (BR) group was significantly higher (48%) than that in the other two groups (%33 for SR, 30% for MR) (P = 0.001). The frequency of appendicitis was higher (36%) in the spring and winter (25%) than that during summer or fall. The number of cases increased the most in the BR group in spring (47%) (P < 0.001). When the types of appendicitis in the different age groups were compared with season, acute appendicitis (P < 0.02) was more frequently (93%) seen in the child-adolesan (CA) group in the spring; however, perfore apandicitis (45%) was greater in the Infant-Preschool (IPS) group (P < 0.02). Acute appendicitis comprised 55% and perforated appendicitis comprised 45% of cases in the IPS group, whereas acute appendicitis comprised 78% and perforated appendicitis comprised 22% in the CA group. Conclusion: According to the results of our study, appendicitis was most frequently seen in the spring and winter seasons and more frequent in boys between the ages of 10-13 years. As age decreases, the frequency of perforated appendicitis increases. Appendicitis is affected by environmental factors. Reducing the incidence of appendicitis may be possible by establishing regional and specific studies related to this subject and the etiologies of the disease.