Pseudomyxoma peritonei diagnosed 19 years after appendicectomy.
Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is an uncommon clinical finding describing the intraperitoneal accumulation of abundant mucinous, jelly-like material. This entity may represent a spectrum of diseases ranging from mucinous ascites, commonly associated with ruptured epithelial tumours of the appendix, to frank mucinous carcinomatosis. In cases of appendiceal origin, the patient may present with signs and symptoms of acute appendicitis, and thus careful diagnosis must be made in order to correctly and appropriately guide management. This may include a combination of surgical debulking with or without intraperitoneal or systemic chemotherapy. We present a 52-year-old woman with a 4-month history of abdominal pain and distension with a previous appendicectomy 19 years earlier. Radiological and pathological investigations diagnosed a probable PMP secondary to ruptured appendicitis many years ago. We describe her unique case, with emphasis on length of time to diagnosis and clinical management by surgical cytoreduction alone.
Department of Surgery, The Galway Clinic, Galway, Ireland.
Paula F
PF
Wrafter
University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Tara
T
Connelly
Jody Sultan Ali
JS
Khan
Department of Surgery, The Galway Clinic, Galway, Ireland.
William P
WP
Joyce
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D001062:Appendectomy; D001063:Appendiceal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003082:Colectomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011553:Pseudomyxoma Peritonei / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors