Epidemiology

Acute appendicitis is one of the most common acute surgical abdominal emergencies.[4] More than 250,000 appendectomies are performed each year in the US; however, the incidence is lower in populations where a high-fiber diet is consumed.[5][6] The overall lifetime risk of developing acute appendicitis is 8.6% for males and 6.7% for females; lifetime risk of appendectomy is around 12% in males and 23% in females.[7][8]

Globally, the pooled incidence of appendicitis or appendectomy is around 100 per 100,000 person years.[9] Data suggest a rapid increase in incidence in newly industrialized countries.[9] Acute appendicitis most commonly occurs between the ages of 10 and 30, with the highest incidence in children and adolescence.[10][11] There is a slight male to female predominance (1.3:1).

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