Mucocele of the appendix presenting as an exacerbated chronic tubo-ovarian abscess

Rationale:

Appendiceal mucocele is a rare entity of mucinous cystic dilatation of the appendix. It has no typical clinical presentation and is considered a potentially premalignant condition.

Patient concerns:

We present a case of accidental intraoperative finding of an appendiceal mucocele in a 54-year old woman that clinically presented with an exacerbated chronic tubo-ovarian abscess.

Diagnoses:

Trans-vaginal ultrasonography showed an encapsulated, oval, unilocular mass above the uterus with a heteroechogenic structure, homogeneous fluid content, and smooth regular walls without inner proliferation. The histopathologic diagnosis was consistent with an appendiceal cystadenoma.

Interventions:

The patient underwent a simple appendectomy.

Outcomes:

There were no clinical, biochemical or imaging signs of the disease recurrence at 6 months follow up.

Lessons:

To our knowledge, this is the only well-documented case of appendiceal mucocele mimicking exacerbated chronic tubo-ovarian abscess reported in the literature. Awareness of a rare entity such as an appendiceal mucocele, which is frequently misdiagnosed as a potential cause of acute abdomen, is necessary for the appropriate management strategy in order to prevent complications.

Other Information

Published in: Medicine
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
See article on publisher's website: https://dx.doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000017149