Case Report
Copyright ©2008 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2008; 14(37): 5763-5768
Published online Oct 7, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.5763
Primary signet ring cell carcinoma of the appendix: A rare case report and our 18-year experience
Yoon Ho Ko, Chan-Kwon Jung, Soon Nam Oh, Tae Hee Kim, Hye Sung Won, Jin Hyoung Kang, Hyung Jin Kim, Won Kyung Kang, Seong Taek Oh, Young Seon Hong
Yoon Ho Ko, Tae Hee Kim, Hye Sung Won, Jin Hyoung Kang, Young Seon Hong, Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kangnam St. Mary’s hospital, Catholic University, Seoul 137-701, South Korea
Chan-Kwon Jung, Department of Hospital Pathology, Kangnam St. Mary’s hospital, Catholic University, Seoul 137-701, South Korea
Soon Nam Oh, Department of Radiology, Kangnam St. Mary’s hospital, Catholic University, Seoul 137-701, South Korea
Hyung Jin Kim, Won Kyung Kang, Seong Taek Oh, Department of General Surgery, Kangnam St. Mary’s hospital, Catholic University, Seoul 137-701, South Korea
Author contributions: Ko YH and Hong YS contributed equally to this work; Jung CK reviewed the pathological findings; Oh SN reviewed the radiological findings; Ko YH, Kim TH, Won HS, Kang JH and Hong YS performed the palliative chemotherapy and management; Kim HJ, Kang WK and Oh ST performed the surgical operation; Ko YH and Hong YS wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Young Seon Hong, MD, Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kangnam St. Mary's hospital, Catholic University, Banpo-dong 505, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, South Korea. y331@catholic.ac.kr
Telephone: +82-2-5901348 Fax: +82-2-5338450
Received: May 27, 2008
Revised: August 18, 2008
Accepted: August 25, 2008
Published online: October 7, 2008
Abstract

Primary adenocarcinoma of the appendix is a rare malignancy that constitutes < 0.5% of all gastrointestinal neoplasms. Moreover, primary signet ring cell carcinoma of the appendix is an exceedingly rare entity. We have encountered 15 cases of primary appendiceal cancer among 3389 patients who underwent appendectomy over the past 18 years. In the present report, we describe a rare case of primary signet ring cell carcinoma of the appendix with ovarian metastases and unresectable peritoneal dissemination occurring in a 67-year-old female patient. She underwent appendectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with a laparoscopy procedure. She then received palliative systemic chemotherapy with 12 cycles of oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin (FOLFOX-4). The patient currently is well without progression of disease 12 mo after beginning chemotherapy.

Keywords: Appendiceal neoplasms; Carcinoma; Signet ring cell; Chemotherapy