Avaliação do polipeptídeo vasoativo intestinal em apêndices morfologicamente normais retirados de pacientes com quadro clínico de apendicite aguda

Abstract

Introduction: Acute abdominal pain in the right flank is one of the most challenging issues in Medicine1. About 15% to 40% of all appendectomies result in the removal of morphologically normal appendices. Purpose: To assess changes in the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in the presence of normal appendices that have been removed due to clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Method: The appendices removed from 76 patients were divided into three groups as follows: - Group 1: 50 morphologically normal appendices that were removed due to clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis. - Group 2: Ten normal appendices prophylactically removed during other surgical procedures. - Group 3: 16 appendices with a morphological aspect of acute appendicitis. The appendices were histologically studied and the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) was immunohistochemically assessed in each of them. Results: Groups 1 and 2 did not different between themselves, but group 3 showed a greater degree of color reaction for VIP than groups 1 and 2. Conclusion: Morphologically normal appendices removed due to a clinical diagnnosis of acute appendicitis do not present the immunohistochemical changes for the VIP that are found in inflamed appendices.