Adenocarcinoma of the vermiform appendix: retrospective study and literature review

Adenocarcinoma of the vermiform appendix is a rare clinical entity, fewer than 200 cases having been reported. The authors carried out a retrospective review over a 25-year period and found five patients admitted to the Vancouver General Hospital with primary appendiceal adenocarcinoma. Four other patients, initially reported as having appendiceal adenocarcinoma, were found after critical microscopic review to have had either benign disease or mucinous carcinoid. Primary epithelial neoplasms of the appendix demonstrate a wide variety of histologic types and because of the different clinical behaviour, an accurate diagnosis must be made. For the benign tumours, appendectomy alone will suffice but for adenocarcinoma of the appendix, right hemicolectomy is recommended.