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Appendicitis. Endoscope view of an inflamed and painful appendix in a patient with appendicitis. The appendix is a thin tube leading off the beginning of the large intestine. It has no known function and can become infected and inflamed, causing the abdominal pain of appendicitis. The inflamed appendix needs to be surgically removed before it bursts and allows contamination of the abdominal cavity with intestinal contents. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/CNRI)