title: Appendicitis and benign appendiceal mucocele presenting as large bowel obstruction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Appendiceal mucocele is most commonly encountered incidentally during appendectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a case of large bowel obstruction presenting as a closed loop with an appendiceal mucocele as the lead point, superimposed on a chronic ileal stricture that had been misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patient underwent ileocecal resection and primary anastomosis. She did well postoperatively, and her irritable bowel syndrome disappeared.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Appendiceal mucocele can present in a variety of ways, and surgeons should be alert for atypical presentations. Moreover, some patients with intermittent abdominal pain deserve anatomic investigation before being dismissed as having irritable bowel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI 48912, USA.
authors.forename: Razvan C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Opreanu
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sobinsky
authors.forename: Marc D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Basson
mesh_terms: D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007077:Ileal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009078:Mucocele / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed