Abstract
The distribution and appearance of subepithelial neurosecretory cells (SNC), originally described by Masson in 1921, was investigated by studying completely sampled appendices of 50 children, adolescents and adults. The cells were demonstrated using lead haematoxylin, a selective stain for neurosecretory cells. Additional routinely sampled specimens were also studied for comparison. In children up to the age of 9 years only occasional SNC were found. After this age however, SNC were present in most appendices and in greater numbers. The majority of SNC were located in the distal portion of the appendix, with only small numbers of these cells being present in the proximal segment. Occasionally SNC-like cells were identified in the appendiceal submucosa in all regions of the appendix at all ages. This lends support to the hypothesis that a correlation exists between the presence of increased numbers of SNC, patient age and the site distribution of both acute appendicitis (as Simard suggested in 1931) and appendiceal carcinoid tumours.
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