Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the appendix presenting as intussusception in 27 year old female.

Abstract

While intussusception is commonly reported in children, it is quite unusual in adults almost always reported secondary to a definable lesion (1). Incidence secondary to adult intussusception has been estimated to range from 0.003% to 0.02% (2). Rarely, as in our case, the appendix may be the lead point for intussusception (3). Appendiceal intussusception may occur secondary to a number of etiologies including: villous adenoma, mucinous cystadenoma, endometriosis, and adenocarcinoma of the appendix (4-6). The incidence of epithelial malignancies of the appendix has been estimated to be 0.12 per 1 million persons per year (7). 5% of the total cases of intussusception (adults and children) have been reported in adults. Intussusception is reported as the underlying cause of 1-5% of adult cases of bowel obstruction (8). We will discuss our case, a 27 year female presenting with abdominal pain and a palpable abdominal mass, as well as briefly review the topic of appendiceal carcinoma.