Carcinoid Tumour of the Vermiform Appendix Mimicking Acute Appendicitis: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Abstract

Although carcinoid tumours are relatively rare, they are the most common neoplasms of the vermiform appendix where they are often discovered incidentally. In symptomatic patients, however, these tumours may produce signs and symptoms that closely mimic those of acute appendicitis and thus require adequate histopathological assessment to resolve the diagnostic challenges. We review the case of a 21-year-old Nigerian male university undergraduate who presented with right-sided lower abdominal pain and vomiting a few hours before coming to the hospital. Clinical evaluation suggested a diagnosis of acute appendicitis for which an emergency appendicectomy was performed. The patient recovered and was subsequently discharged home. Histopathological examination of the appendiceal specimen, however, revealed a carcinoid tumour at the tip of the specimen. It, therefore, becomes imperative that all appendicectomy specimens be subjected to appropriate histopathological assessment even if the sample appears innocuous to the naked eye.

Keywords

• acute appendicitis
• carcinoid tumour
• incidental
• mimic