Appendiceal mucocele and pseudomyxoma peritonei; the clinical boundaries of a subtle disease

Male, 70 • Male, 84. Appendiceal mucocele and pseudomyxoma peritonei. -. -. -. Surgery. Rare disease. Mucocele of the appendix is an uncommon cystic lesion characterized by distension of the appendiceal lumen with mucus. Most commonly, it is the result of epithelial proliferation, but it can also be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of case reports 2014-08, Vol.15, p.355-360
Main Authors: Spyropoulos, Charalampos, Rentis, Achilleas, Alexaki, Eleftheria, Triantafillidis, John K, Vagianos, Constantine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Appendectomy
Appendiceal Neoplasms - diagnosis
Appendiceal Neoplasms - surgery
Appendix
Colectomy
Diagnosis, Differential
Female
Humans
Male
Mucocele - diagnosis
Mucocele - surgery
Neoplasms, Multiple Primary
Peritoneal Neoplasms - diagnosis
Peritoneal Neoplasms - surgery
Pseudomyxoma Peritonei - diagnosis
Pseudomyxoma Peritonei - surgery
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
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Summary:Male, 70 • Male, 84. Appendiceal mucocele and pseudomyxoma peritonei. -. -. -. Surgery. Rare disease. Mucocele of the appendix is an uncommon cystic lesion characterized by distension of the appendiceal lumen with mucus. Most commonly, it is the result of epithelial proliferation, but it can also be caused by inflammation or obstruction of the appendix. When an underlying mucinous cystadenocarcinoma exists, spontaneous or iatrogenic rupture of the mucocele can lead to mucinous intraperitoneal ascites, a syndrome known as pseudomyxoma peritonei. We report 2 cases that represent the clinical extremities of this heterogeneous disease; an asymptomatic mucocele of the appendix in a 70-year-old female and a case of pseudomyxoma peritonei in an 84-year-old male. Subsequently, we review the current literature focusing to the optimal management of both conditions. Mucocele of the appendix is a rare disease, usually diagnosed on histopathologic examination of appendectomized specimens. Due to the existing potential for malignant transformation and pseudomyxoma peritonei caused by rupture of the mucocele, extensive preoperative evaluation and thorough intraoperative gastrointestinal and peritoneal examination is required.
ISSN:1941-5923
1941-5923
DOI:10.12659/AJCR.890837