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Case Reports
. 2023 Jan-Dec:11:23247096231217822.
doi: 10.1177/23247096231217822.

The Cancer Diaspora: A Rare Case of Pseudomyxoma Peritonei of Appendiceal Origin

Lefika Bathobakae  1 , Sacide S Ozgur  1 , Mohita Jariwala  2 , Jaydev Kesrani  1 , Shajla Ajas  1 , Mehandar Kumar  1 , Amer Akmal  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

The Cancer Diaspora: A Rare Case of Pseudomyxoma Peritonei of Appendiceal Origin

Lefika Bathobakae et al. J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep. 2023 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare clinical entity characterized by widespread mucinous implants in the peritoneal cavity. Commonly seen in females in their 50s, PMP typically originates from ruptured appendiceal mucoceles that find refuge in the peritoneal space. Rarely, PMP may originate from the ovary, stomach, colon, or pancreas. Pseudomyxoma peritonei of colorectal origin is more malignant and has a lower survival rate. We report a case of a 59-year-old Hispanic woman with PMP who presented to the emergency room with a 3-month history of progressive abdominal distention. Pseudomyxoma peritonei was confirmed by computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis and histopathology, and the patient underwent partial cytoreductive surgery. Given her Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 1 despite extensive carcinomatosis, our patient may benefit from hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in the future.

Keywords: Pseudomyxoma peritonei; complete cytoreductive therapy; hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy; jelly belly; mucinous ascites.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
A computed tomography scan of the abdomen and pelvis showing liver scalloping (red arrows) and omental caking (black arrows) consistent with pseudomyxoma peritonei.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Intraoperative view: a jelly-like mass seen in the peritoneal cavity during a diagnostic laparotomy.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Histology slides showing abundant mucin dissecting through the fibroconnective tissue, with focal scattered fragments of mucinous glandular epithelium showing low-grade cytology. No infiltrative type of invasion or desmoplastic reactions are seen. The histological findings are most consistent with a low-grade mucinous neoplasia/carcinoma in the setting of pseudomyxoma peritonei.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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