Abstract
An appendiceal mucocele is a dilatation of the appendix and it is the result of benign or malignant diseases, which cause the obstruction of the appendix and the consequent accumulation of mucus secretion. The preoperative diagnosis is difficult due to non-specific clinical manifestations of the disease. We present a case of an 83-year-old female patient with a history of breast cancer that was referred to our hospital for an evaluation of a right adnexal mass discovered during her yearly follow-up. The patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy with a provisional diagnosis of a right adnexal mass. A perioperative, appendiceal mucocele was diagnosed. She underwent a formal appendectomy and histopathology of the specimen revealed a low-grade mucinous neoplasm. Appendiceal mucinous neoplasms represent a rare form of pathology among all appendectomy specimens. A preoperative diagnosis is difficult due to the lack of specific symptoms and it is often misdiagnosed as an adnexal mass. The perforation of the appendix and subsequent extravasation of its contents into the abdominal cavity may lead to pseudomyxoma peritonei, which has a very poor prognosis if not treated properly.
Highlights
A mucocele of the appendix is a rare entity contributing to 0.2%-0.7% of appendiceal pathologies and is more frequent among individuals aged 50 years or more [1,2]
We present a case of an 83-year-old female patient with a history of breast cancer that was referred to our hospital for an evaluation of a right adnexal mass discovered during her yearly follow-up
Appendiceal mucinous neoplasms represent a rare form of pathology among all appendectomy specimens
Summary
A mucocele of the appendix is a rare entity contributing to 0.2%-0.7% of appendiceal pathologies and is more frequent among individuals aged 50 years or more [1,2]. The patient may present as acute appendicitis, a nonspecific abdominal pain, or a pelvic mass It may rarely receive a definitive diagnosis before surgery or it may be encountered during abdominal surgery performed for another indication [4]. Recognition and extra intraoperative precautions must be implemented to prevent iatrogenic rupture and the subsequent spilling of potentially malignant mucin-producing cells throughout the peritoneal cavity [2] It is important for gynecologists and general surgeons to consider an appendiceal mucocele in their differential diagnosis in the case of a pelvic mass. The mass was in contact with the right ovary, uterus, and intestines After a year of follow-up, the patient is asymptomatic, with no pathological imaging findings
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