Final answer:
If the appendix is retrocecal, there is often pain upon palpation or movement that stretches the area because the retrocecal appendix may irritate surrounding tissues such as the psoas muscle. An inflamed retrocecal appendix does not always present with usual symptoms because of its location behind the cecum.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the appendix is retrocecal, there is often pain upon palpation or movement that stretches that area. The term retrocecal refers to the appendix being located behind the cecum, which is the first part of the large intestine, immediately beyond the ileocecal valve. When a person has an inflamed appendix, otherwise known as appendicitis, it can cause severe pain. This pain can become more pronounced during certain movements or examinations that involve pressure or stretching near the retrocecal area. Patients with a retrocecal appendix may not necessarily present with the classic sign of tenderness in the lower right quadrant upon abdominal examination because of the position of the appendix. Instead, indirect signs such as pain on extension of the right thigh (psoas sign) due to the irritation of the retrocecal appendix against the right psoas muscle, or increased pain upon right hip movement, might be present.