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Original Article:
Gilaad G Kaplan, Elijah Dixon, Remo Panaccione, Andrew Fong, Li Chen, Mieczyslaw Szyszkowicz, Amanda Wheeler, Anthony MacLean, W Donald Buie, Terry Leung, Steven J Heitman, and Paul J Villeneuve
Effect of ambient air pollution on the incidence of appendicitis
CMAJ 2009; 0: cmaj.082068v1 [Abstract]
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[Read eLetter] Might air pollution have caused an energy deficit in the appendix?
Richard G Fiddian-Green   (7 October 2009)

Might air pollution have caused an energy deficit in the appendix? 7 October 2009
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Richard G Fiddian-Green,
London, UK
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Re: Might air pollution have caused an energy deficit in the appendix?

richardfg{at}hotmail.com Richard G Fiddian-Green

If, as previously proposed, most if not all diseases are caused by an energy deficit, might air pollution have increased the risk of developing acute appendicitis by compounding that induced by interference with blood flow? In 90% of cases inflammation involves the whole appendix or is confined to the distal end. Faecoliths are found in 10% of cases and obstruction of the lumen, caused by faeculent or purulent material, in 60% of cases (1).

1. Menzies DN. Pathogenesis of acute appendicitis. BMJ 4th February 1978 page 305.

Conflict of Interest:

None declared