Prospective studies have shown incidental appendectomy to be advantageous in which of the following patient groups?

e. None of the above

Several studies have looked at incidental appendectomies in a variety of populations. The deficiency in all past studies of this issue is the lack of prospective long-term trials to assess the true cost and benefit. Incidental appendectomy is clearly not indicated in the elderly and in patients undergoing laparatomy for staging of Hodgkin’s disease. These two specific groups have been shown to have increased perioperative risks with incidental appendectomy. No prospective studies have addressed the issue of HIV infected or spinal cord injured patients. While incidental appendectomies may be performed safely in general, it is difficult to justify any increase in operative risk without demonstrable benefit.