Regardless of the absence or presence of acute appendicitis, any abnormal appearing appendix with a dilated lumen, excessive mucin, or abnormal appearing epithelium or mucosa (i.e. cytological atypia, architectural changes, mucosal atrophy, etc.), should be evaluated more closely and submitted entirely for histological evaluation to exclude the presence of luminal neoplastic/dysplastic epithelium. This evidence concerns the gene MUC5AC and appendicitis.