Where is the appendix located?

The appendix is usually located in the right lower quadrant of the human abdominal cavity. The detailed explanation is as follows:

In normal anatomy, the appendix is attached to the posterior medial wall of the cecum. The surface projection of its base is approximately at the junction of the outer and middle one-third of the line connecting the umbilicus to the right anterior superior iliac spine. This point is known in medicine as McBurney's point. This location represents the most common position of the appendix. When the appendix becomes inflamed, there will be significant tenderness and rebound tenderness near McBurney's point in the right lower abdomen, serving as an important basis for clinical diagnosis.

In rare cases, due to embryonic developmental abnormalities or variations in visceral positioning, the appendix may deviate from its usual position, resulting in variations such as left-sided appendix, high-positioned appendix, or retroperitoneal appendix. For example, a left-sided appendix may be located in the left lower abdomen, a high-positioned appendix might be close to the liver, and a retroperitoneal appendix lies behind the peritoneum. When appendices in these variant positions become diseased, symptoms and signs may be atypical, requiring ultrasound, CT, and other examinations to determine the precise location, thus avoiding diagnostic errors due to unusual positioning.

The exact location of the appendix varies among individuals. If symptoms such as abdominal pain and fever occur, regardless of whether the pain's location corresponds to the typical position, timely medical attention is necessary.