1/341. Pseudomyxoma retroperitonei with spontaneous skin fistula. We describe the imaging features in a patient with pseudomyxoma retroperitonei arising from a mucinous carcinoma of the appendix with spontaneous development of a skin fistula. The thick wall and septa characteristic of pseudomyxoma were best demonstrated on gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. This patient illustrates (a) the potential of pseudomyxoma to cause skin fistula and (b) the possibility that this intraabdominal process can first present as a dermatologic complication. ( info) |
| Authors report a case of a 29-year-old male with primary malignant lymphoma of the appendix with involvement of lymph nodes in the mesenteries. Surgical intervention was performed, adjuvant chemotherapy was applied. No recurrences, metastases or complaints occurred after one year of follow-up. The case is of interest due to the clinical and histopathological diagnostic problems as well as the dimension of the metastatic lymph node in the ileal mesentery. ( info) |
3/341. Gastro-intestinal Kaposi's sarcoma, with special reference to the appendix. Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) of the gastro-intestinal tract is a common disease in the AIDS setting, although it is often asymptomatic. In this paper we wish to highlight the occurrence of gastro-intestinal KS with appendiceal involvement. Two of the patients presented with features of acute appendicitis, and KS of the appendix was not suspected at the time of surgery. In the remaining patient KS of the appendix was part of generalised gastro-intestinal involvement. It is important to remember that KS can cause appendicitis by producing a submucosal nodule that abuts into the lumen and thereby causes obstruction. KS of the gastro-intestinal tract may therefore masquerade as 'simple' appendicitis, or indeed remain asymptomatic. ( info) |
4/341. Carcinoid of the appendix during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: unexpected benefits. Carcinoid tumors of the midgut arise from the distal duodenum, jejunum, ileum, appendix, ascending and right transverse colon. The appendix and terminal ileum are the most common location. The majority of carcinoid tumors originate from neuroendocrine cells along the gastrointestinal tract, but they are also found in the lung, ovary, and biliary tracts. We report the first case of elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy in which we found a suspicious lesion at the tip of the appendix and proceeded to perform a laparoscopic appendectomy. The lesion revealed a carcinoid tumor of the appendix. ( info) |
5/341. A case of intra-abdominal multiple lymphangiomas in an adult in whom the immunological evaluation supported the diagnosis. A 60-year-old patient with intra-abdominal lymphangiomatosis is described. He presented with anaemia due to enteric haemorrhage, hypoproteinaemia with heavy hypogammaglobulinaemia and T-cell lymphopenia. Duodenal biopsy showed lymphangiectasia while a small bowel study revealed several filling defects in the terminal ileum. On exploratory laparotomy, numerous inoperable lymphangio-haemangiomata were found, involving the small and large intestine, appendix, mesenterium, gallbladder and main biliary tract. The importance of T-cell lymphopenia and hypogammaglobulinaemia in the diagnosis of intra-abdominal lymphangiomatosis with lymphangiectasia is stressed. ( info) |
6/341. Synchronous occurrence of carcinoid tumour of the appendix and T-cell lymphoma of the ileum. A case report with review of the literature. Carcinoid tumours of the gastrointestinal tract are often associated with other tumour types at various sites. However, only rarely has a lymphoma constituted the second tumour. In the present paper, we report the case of a 62-year-old woman who was operated on for a perforated T-cell lymphoma of the ileum and in whom an appendicular carcinoid tumour was incidentally discovered at surgery. It was possible to completely remove both tumours and postoperatively the patient underwent CHOP treatment. Ten months after surgery the patient is well, with no tumour manifestations. We also discuss problems concerning classification of the lymphoma on account of loss of the T-cell antigen CD45RO (UCHL-1). ( info) |
| pseudomyxoma peritonei is a rare disease in which the abdominal cavity fills with thick mucoid material secondary to either benign or malignant conditions. We discuss a case where pseudomyxoma peritonei secondary to adenocarcinoma of the appendix was diagnosed and managed laparoscopically. The laparoscopic approach allows thorough exploration of the abdomen, as well as irrigation and aspiration of the thick mucinous material using a 10-mm suction cannula and the instillation of mucolytic agents such as 5% dextrose solution. appendectomy or right hemicolectomy can be performed with minimal disturbance of the anterior abdominal wall, thus minimizing future adhesions as well as possible tumor-cell implantation. Intraperitoneal catheters for chemotherapy can be placed easily through the port sites. These measures offer an alternative to radical peritoneal dissection and can be accomplished during the initial laparoscopic exploration. ( info) |
| adenocarcinoma of the appendix is rarely encountered and is usually discovered at the pathology examination of the surgical specimen. adenocarcinoma of the vermiform appendix is a rare neoplasm and constitutes <0.5% of all gastrointestinal neoplasms. There is no symptom of appendiceal cancer, and it is very difficult to diagnose preoperatively. Most female patients are diagnosed as having a gynecologic disease. Second primary synchronous and metachronous neoplasms, especially in the gastrointestinal tract, are found in up to 35% of patients with appendix adenocarcinoma. We report a case of adenocarcinoma in a 56-year-old woman misdiagnosed as having right ovarian carcinoma, and we review the literature. ( info) |
| Although the use of intraperitoneal mucolytic agents is useful in the management of pseudomyxoma peritonei, effective removal of mucin is difficult even by repeated mucolysis in cases with massive ascites. To establish mucolytic therapy as a further effective procedure, biochemical analysis of mucin is required in greater detail. We reported here a case of pseudomyxoma peritonei caused by primary appendiceal cancer with biochemical analysis of mucin. The abdominal cavity in this case was filled with massive mucinous ascites. Although the mucolytic therapy was performed repeatedly, it was not effective in preventing mechanical ileus which was followed by surgical exclusion. Biochemical study of mucin showed that the mucin contained a small amount of hyaluronic acid, as characterized by electrophoretic study. These data led us to the hypothesis that the hyaluronic acid component plays a role in the pathogenesis of the replacement of mucin in the abdominal cavity. ( info) |
10/341. Malignant mesothelioma eight years after a diagnosis of atypical mesothelial hyperplasia. The separation of mesothelial hyperplasia from early malignant mesothelioma remains one of the most difficult problems in histopathology. Inconclusive cases are termed "atypical mesothelial hyperplasia" and treated expectantly. A 49 year old male pipeline engineer was diagnosed as having atypical mesothelial hyperplasia in appendiceal serosa by the US-Canadian mesothelioma Panel. Eight years later, he developed overtly malignant peritoneal and pleural mesothelioma. In hindsight, histological similarities between the diffuse malignant mesothelioma and the atypical mesothelial proliferation suggested malignancy from the outset. The most important of these features were the degree of mesothelial proliferation, micronodularity, architectural complexity, superficial invasion, uniform mild cytological atypia, and the absence of a clinical cause for a benign mesothelial proliferation. Ancillary investigations including immunohistochemistry were of no benefit in determining whether the atypical mesothelial hyperplasia was benign or malignant. Careful histological examination remains the mainstay of the diagnosis of early mesothelioma. ( info) |