Laparoscopic resection of an appendiceal mucocele

A 78-year-old man was incidentally discovered to have an asymptomatic right lower quadrant abdominal mass during physical examination for influenza. CT scan of the abdomen revealed a cystic sausage-shaped lesion arising from the cecum. Diagnostic laparoscopy revealed an appendiceal mucocele. There was no ascites or metastatic peritoneal nodules. Laparoscopic excision of the unruptured appendiceal mucocele was achieved. Histopathologic examination of the mucocele showed epithelial dysplasia, a feature diagnostic of a mucinous cystadenoma. The patient was discharged on postoperative day one and recovered uneventfully. No analgesic was required after surgery. The patient remained well and symptom-free during the follow-up period. The laparoscopic approach allows diagnostic laparoscopy and appendectomy to be performed, and confers the advantages of minimal-access surgery, including the avoidance of a large incision, a better cosmetic outcome, and a short convalescent period.