What is McBurney's point of the appendix?

McBurney's point of the appendix is ​​a special term. Many people are not particularly familiar with this term. In fact, it is the surface projection point of the root of the appendix during the examination. We know that appendicitis is an inflammatory change caused by multiple factors. This is a common surgical disease, which is more common in young people. Clinically, acute appendicitis poses a great threat to health and must be treated promptly.

Basic Concepts

The surface projection point of the root of the appendix is ​​usually at the intersection of the middle and outer 1/3 of the line connecting the right anterior superior iliac spine and the umbilicus. This point is called McBurney's point of the appendix.

Discovery Process

Dr. Charles Mcburney (1845-1913) was a surgeon at a hospital in New York, USA. In 1889, he reported his experience in early surgical treatment of appendicitis. He advocated that the best time to perform surgery was on the 2nd to 3rd day after the onset of appendicitis.

In 1901, he discovered that there was a tender point in the right lower abdomen of patients with appendicitis, which he described as the junction of the middle and outer 1/3 of the straight line from the anterior superior iliac spine to the umbilicus (about 3.8 cm). Abdominal tenderness has diagnostic value for appendicitis. This spot is now known as McBurney's Point, which greatly simplifies the diagnosis of appendicitis.

Causes

1. Acute appendicitis

(1) Obstruction The appendix is ​​a long, thin tube that is connected to the cecum at only one end. Once obstructed, secretions may accumulate in the lumen, increasing the internal pressure and compressing the appendix wall, which will hinder distal blood flow. On this basis, bacteria in the lumen invade the damaged mucosa and easily cause infection. (2) The main cause of infection is direct infection caused by bacteria in the appendix cavity. If the appendix mucosa is slightly damaged, bacteria will invade the wall of the tube and cause infection of varying degrees. (3) Other factors believed to be related to the onset of the disease include gastrointestinal dysfunction such as diarrhea and constipation that causes visceral nerve reflexes, leading to spasms of the appendix muscles and blood vessels, resulting in stenosis of the appendix lumen, obstruction of blood supply, damage to the mucosa, and bacterial invasion, leading to acute inflammation.

2. Chronic appendicitis

Clinically, it can be roughly divided into two categories: recurrent appendicitis and chronic appendicitis. The former is mostly caused by the failure to completely eliminate the residual infection during the acute appendicitis attack, resulting in the prolonged illness. The latter has no history of acute appendicitis, and the symptoms are vague and the signs are often unclear.