To provide a descriptive evaluation of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH) and its associated neural and stromal alterations in pediatric appendectomy specimens, highlighting their clinical significance.
Approach:
Key Findings:
100 out of 468 appendectomies showed RLH, with a mean age of 11.34 years and 63% male. Statistical significance of findings should be included if available.
Neural and stromal alterations, including S-100 positive nerve elements and varying degrees of fibrosis, were frequently observed.
Höfler Type 1 and Type 3 patterns were the most common, with fibrosis predominantly mild to moderate.
Postoperative symptom resolution was noted in patients with follow-up.
Interpretation:
RLH in children is associated with reactive neural and stromal alterations, which should be viewed as nonspecific reactive changes rather than disease-specific features, with potential implications for clinical practice.
Limitations:
The study is retrospective and may have selection bias due to the enrichment of cases requiring additional histopathological assessment, which could impact the generalizability of the findings.
It does not aim to establish causality or disease specificity.
Conclusion:
Further studies are needed to clarify the clinical significance of neural and stromal changes associated with RLH in pediatric appendices, particularly in relation to appendicitis-like presentations.
