Adenocarcinoma of the appendix mimicking complicated appendicitis in the elderly : A report of two cases

Abstract

Introduction. Primary appendiceal adenocarcinoma is a very rare malignancy which accounts for 0.1% of all appendectomy specimens. In both patients presented in this paper, appendectomy was performed due to suspected acute complicated appendicitis. Case Reports. The first patient, a 77-year-old man, presented with a low grade colonic-type pT3 adenocarcinoma of the appendix, diagnosed by histopathological examination of the resected appendix delivered in a fixative. A month after appendectomy, the patient underwent right hemicolectomy of a tumor at the edge of the resection. Due to a cardiovascular disease, adjuvant chemotherapy was not indicated. The second patient, a 74-year-old female, presented with a low grade mucinous adenocarcinoma of the appendix with subserous infiltration, diagnosed by histopathological analysis of the resected appendix. Eight months after appendectomy, the patient developed a recurrent tumor in the cecal area. After radical surgical excision of the recurrent tumor, the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy. Both patients had a 5-year survival without relapse. Conclusion. Preoperative diagnosis of appendiceal adenocarcinoma is a challenge due to overlapping symptoms of complicated acute appendicitis. Our results suggest that in elderly patients with symptoms of complicated acute appendicitis, appendectomy should be done with intraoperative histopathological frozen section consultation. In advanced stages of adenocarcinoma, right hemicolectomy is a better choice than appendectomy.