title: Involvement of the appendix in ovarian epithelial cancer--an update.
abstract: Appendicectomy was performed at the time of primary definitive surgery in 60 of 102 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer at Johannesburg Hospital over a 9-year period (January 1979-December 1987). Metastases were present in 37 of the 46 (80.4%) appendices removed from patients with advanced disease (stage III or IV) and in only 1 of the 14 patients (7.1%) with early disease. Metastases were not limited to serosal implants and included vascular and lymphatic space involvement, chronic obliterative appendicitis and almost complete replacement of the appendix by adenocarcinoma. The role of appendicectomy in the surgical management of epithelial ovarian cancer is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Sonnendecker
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Margolius
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Sonnendecker
mesh_terms: D001063:Appendiceal Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*