SPECIAL ARTICLE

Vermiform appendix: Normal anatomy

Hao Xiang,1 Jason Han,1 William E Ridley2 and Lloyd J Ridley1,3
1
Department of Radiology, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia
2
University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
3
Medical Imaging, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

doi:10.1111/1754-9485.59_12784

Fig. Volume rendered CT of the appendix on a CT Colonography.

The vermiform appendix is a blind ending tubular struc-
ture which arises from the caecal pole. The official Termi-
nologia Anatomica name is “appendix vermiformis”
meaning worm-like attachment in Latin.1,2
Did you know?
Parasitic worms have been known to infect the appendix
with cases of appendicular Taeniasis3 and Schistosomia-
sis4 presenting with acute appendicitis . This is a rare sit-
uation where the animal the organ is named after causes
a disease in the same organ.
Another worm related feature of the human body is
the lumbrical muscles which are named after Lumbrical
terrestus, the scientific name of the earthworm. This was
first used in anatomy by Riolan.5
Related signs
o Worm derived name – in: Feather pattern: muscle
disease
References
1. Appendix Vermiformis [Internet]. Terminologia
Anatomica. 1998 [Cited 26 October 2016.] Available
from URL: http://www.unifr.ch/ifaa/Public/EntryPage/
TA98%20Tree/Entity%20TA98%20EN/05.7.02.007%
20Entity%20TA98%20EN.htm
2. Barlow A, Muhleman M, Gielecki J, Matusz P, Tubbs
RS, Loukas M. The vermiform appendix: a review. Clin
Anat 2013; 26: 833–42.
3. Kulkarni AS, Joshi AR, Shere SK et al. Appendicular
taeniasis presenting as acute appendicitis a report of
two cases with review of literature. Int J Health Sci
Res 2014; 4: 194–97.
4. Adebamowo CA, Ladipo JK, Ajao OG, Akang EE. Schis-
tosomiasis of the appendix. Br J Surg 1991; 78:
1219–21.
5. Dye SF, van Dam BE, Westin GW. Etymology and the

• Appendix
o Avian appendix: anatomic variant
orthopaedic surgeon: Onomasticon (Vocabulary).
Iowa Orthop J 1991; 11: 84.
o Horseshoe Appendix: anatomical variant

• Worm

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