Table 1

Case reports of appendiceal epithelial (mucinous) tumors during pregnancy.

Reference and year

Diagnosis

Gestational age at presentation

Clinical presentation

Initial treatment of appendiceal tumor

Definitive treatment of appendiceal tumor

Management and outcome of pregnancy

Patient outcome and follow-up

Haase (current case)

Well-differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma with pseudomyxoma peritonei syndrome

17 weeks

Incidental finding on routine prenatal ultrasound

Laparotomy, right salpingo-oophorectomy, appendectomy, omental biopsy

Complete cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC and EPIC after delivery, and adjuvant chemotherapy

Early induction and vaginal delivery of healthy baby at 35 weeks

5 years, no recurrence

Sebire

2000 [7]

Moderately-differentiated appendiceal adenocarcinoma with peritoneal carcinomatosis and liver metastases

29 weeks

Lower abdominal pain and vomiting

Diagnostic workup of metastatic disease (liver biopsy)

Palliative debulking (omentectomy, appendectomy, left oophorectomy) at time of Cesarean section. Adjuvant 5-FU, epirubicin and carboplatin

Cesarean section at 30 weeks, healthy baby

6 months post treatment clinically well but residual tumor in right iliac fossa and liver

Gallo

2001 [11]

Well-differentiated mucinous cystadenocarcinoma

38 weeks

Incidental finding at Cesarean section

Appendectomy at time of Cesarean section

Right hemicolectomy after radiographic metastatic workup

Cesarean section at 38 weeks

5 years, no recurrence

Donnenfeld

1986 [12]

Perforated mucinous appendiceal adenocarcinoma

31 weeks

Acute abdomen,

Appendectomy

Right hemicolectomy 9 days postpartum

Early induction and vaginal delivery of healthy baby at 33 weeks

30 day follow up no complications

Morgan

2004 [13]

Well-differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma, negative peritoneal washings

26 weeks

Acute abdomen

Right hemicolectomy

No further treatment

Vaginal delivery of healthy baby at term

36 months, no recurrence

Zeteroglu

2003 [14]

Mucinous appendiceal cystadenocarcinoma

21 weeks

Acute abdomen

Appendectomy

Right hemicolectomy, omentectomy

Terminated at 21 weeks

1 year, no recurrence

Casey

2003 [15]

Perforated mucinous cystadenoma

21 weeks

Acute abdomen

Appendectomy

No further treatment

miscarriage

Discharged well 4 days after surgery

Kalu

2005 [16]

Mucinous adenoma with mucocele

5 weeks

Incidental ultrasound finding at time of vaginal bleeding

Observation with serial imaging (follow-up ultrasound 3 months)

Appendectomy 3 months later when mass doubled in size

Spontaneous abortion at 6 weeks

Discharged well 4 days after surgery

HIPEC: heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy

EPIC: early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy

5-FU: 5-fluorouracil

Haase et al. World Journal of Surgical Oncology 2009 7:48   doi:10.1186/1477-7819-7-48