A case of primary malignant lymphoma of the appendix vermiformis with acute appendicitis

Abstract

A 59-year-old woman with complaints of fever and abdominal pain consulted her local physician. She was diagnosed with infectious gastroenteritis and received antibiotic treatment. However, owing to a poor treatment outcome, she was admitted to our hospital. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a swollen appendix : we diagnosed acute appendicitis and performed an emergency operation. The appendix and lymph nodes were found to be swollen : we performed ileocecal resection owing to the possibility of a malignant tumor. Histopathological analysis indicated an increased number of lymphocytes in the mucosa of the appendix and the presence of L26-positive cells. We diagnosed malignant lymphoma of the diffuse large B-cell type. This disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cases with acute appendicitis associated with a formed mass.