Acute appendicitis secondary to metastatic carcinoma of the breast: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract

A 39-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain 6 years after her diagnosis of HER2 positive breast cancer. Imaging revealed an enlarged appendix likely representing acute appendicitis. Surgery was performed, and pathological analysis of the appendix indicated metastatic carcinoma. On reviewing the literature, we found a few reported cases of appendicitis caused by metastatic carcinoma of the breast. The possibility of metastasis to the appendix must be considered in the diagnosis of right lower quadrant pain in patients with breast cancer.