US Medical Term · anatomy
Appendix
Apéndice
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Appendix |
| Spanish (Español) | Apéndice |
| Chinese (中文) | 闌尾 |
| Korean (한국어) | 충수 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Ruột thừa |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Apendiks |
| Portuguese (Português) | Apêndice |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ไส้ติ่ง |
| Japanese (日本語) | 虫垂 |
What it means
The appendix is a small, finger-shaped pouch about three to four inches long that hangs off the lower right side of the large intestine where the cecum begins. Its exact function in adults is not fully understood, though it may play a small role in the immune system early in life. Appendicitis — inflammation of the appendix, usually caused by a blockage — is one of the most common causes of emergency abdominal surgery in the United States. Symptoms include pain that starts around the navel and moves to the lower right abdomen, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Treatment is usually surgical removal — a procedure called an appendectomy — often done laparoscopically through small incisions.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
I have pain in my lower right abdomen that keeps getting worse — could it be my appendix?
Tengo dolor en la parte inferior derecha del abdomen que empeora cada vez más. ¿Podría ser el apéndice?
They took out my appendix through laparoscopic surgery and I went home the next day.
Me extirparon el apéndice mediante cirugía laparoscópica y me fui a casa al día siguiente.
The CT scan confirmed appendicitis and the surgeon said it needs to come out tonight.
La tomografía confirmó apendicitis y el cirujano dijo que deben extirparlo esta noche.
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Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026