Seeds in the appendix: a 'fruitful' exploration.

Our contribution aims at clarifying and underlining a possible finding which can pose an interesting twist in routine appendix diagnostics: seeds in the appendiceal lumen, their histological aspects and their differential diagnosis with parasites. We work in a training centre with a large referral practice for gastrointestinal pathology and often the most banal cases are those which pose problems to junior or non-expert pathologists. This short study aims at providing simple iconographic tables, which are not at the moment available either in publications or on the web, with the most frequent seeds encountered in our routine practice or sent for second opinion. The real importance of identifying seed type in histological sections, however is in forsensic pathology and forensic botany where the identification of seeds as stomach content may provide important clues for solving major crimes.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.