Appendicitis is inflammation/infection of which structure?

• A. Inflammation/infection of the appendix
• B. Inflammation/infection of the gallbladder
• C. Inflammation/infection of the spleen
• D. Inflammation/infection of the pancreas

Answer: (A)

Appendicitis means inflammation of the appendix, a small pouch (the vermiform appendix) extending from the beginning of the large intestine. When this structure becomes inflamed due to obstruction and infection, symptoms arise, and the condition is diagnosed as inflammation of the appendix. The other structures mentioned are different organs with their own inflammatory conditions—gallbladder inflammation is cholecystitis, spleen inflammation is splenitis, and pancreas inflammation is pancreatitis—so they wouldn’t be described as appendicitis. Understanding the anatomy helps: the appendix is a distinct structure whose inflammation defines this condition.