Primary carcinoma of the appendix

Abstract

Primary adenocarcinoma of the appendix is rare and less than 200 cases are on record. The present material consisted of 20 cases collected from different hospitals. The cases are described in respect of sex and age-distribution, symptoms, treatment and prognosis. Of 7 patients with malignant mucocele, 6 subjected to appendectomy only, were still alive 5 years after the operation. Of 12 patients with colonic type of adenocarcinoma, 3 had been treated with appendectomy only. Of these, 2 were still alive 5 years after the operation. The remaining 9 patients had undergone right hemicolectomy. Only one of them was alive 5 years after the operation. A compilation of a further 39 cases garnered from the literature, however, showed that 60% had survived at least 5 years after right hemicolectomy, compared with 46% after appendectomy alone. Appendectomy alone is probably a sufficiently radical operation for malignant mucocele provided the tumor has not grown through the submucosa and that it is confined to the tip of the appendix. Right hemicolectomy is indicated for the colonic type of adenocarcinoma.