Mucocele and mucinous cystadenoma of the appendix
Minchef, T.V.
Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association 106(1): 13-15
2010
ISSN/ISBN: 0038-3139 PMID: 23272378 Document Number: 645192
Most cases of appendiceal mucoceles present as acute appendicitis however symptomatology of appendiceal mucoceles is usually nonspecific: very large lesions can be asymptomatic in up to 25% of patients. All mucoceles should be removed to prevent the chance of progression to malignancy. Therapy requires surgical intervention and the extent of resection depends on the dimensions and histology of the mucocele. Careful handling of the specimen is required to prevent inadvertent spillage of the contents which can lead to the worst complication, pseudomyxoma peritonei. In this case a large mucinous cystadenoma was encountered along with an incidental finding, a left renal cell carcinoma of the kidney. No perforation or spillage of mucinous material was fortunately encountered at the time of exploration.