Intestinal obstruction secondary to appendiceal mucocele

Few cases of intestinal obstruction complicating an appendiceal mucocele have been recorded. We report the case of a young woman who presented to the emergency room with diffusely abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and disruption of bowel movements. Her abdomen was mildly distended and tympanic. A flat film of the abdomen revealed dilated small bowel loops with air-fluid levels suggestive of small bowel obstruction. She also had leukocytosis. An emergency operation was performed under the diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. The intraoperatory findings showed a tumoral appendiceal mass permeated into the ileum in two distinct points, causing an enteral stenosis. We performed an appendectomy "en bloc" with two enteral loop resections of the permeated ileum followed by two T-T enteral anastomoses. The pathologic examination revealed appendiceal mucinous cystadenoma. Postoperative course was favorable, the patient being discharged on the seventh postoperative day. Postoperative checks performed at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months (including colonoscopy) have not showed pathological changes.