CASE REPORTS   

Chirurgia 2011 June;24(3):143-5

Copyright © 2011 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Appendiceal neuroma without obliteration of the lumen mimicking acute appendicitis

Papaconstantinou I. ¹, Karakatsanis A. ¹, Lykoudis P. M. ¹, Karvouni E. ², Polymeneas G. ¹

¹ Second Department of Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, Aretaieion Hospital, Athens, Greece 2 Department of Pathology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, Aretaieion Hospital, Athens, Greece

A 50-year-old Caucasian male patient presented with fever and right iliac fossa pain, originally starting from the periumbilical area. He reported 4 similar episodes in the last 6 months. With an Alvarado score of 8/10, the patient underwent appendicectomy. Histology revealed an appendiceal neuroma, which did not occlude the appendiceal lumen. Appendiceal neuromas are considered a rare pathological entity, usually asymptomatic. However, either the occlusion of the lumen or the uncontrolled secretion of serotonin by the neuroma such as in the case we present, are responsible for the symptomatology mimicking that of acute appendicitis. Complete remission of the symptoms occurs after appendicectomy.