Abstract
We present two cases of neuroendocrine tumor of the appendix diagnosed after surgery for acute appendicitis in children. Case 1 involved a 12-year-old girl who presented to our hospital because of epigastralgia. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a swollen appendix and acute appendicitis was diagnosed. Case 2 involved a 14-year-old girl who presented to our hospital because of right lower quadrant abdominal pain. An abdominal contrast-enhanced CT scan showed a swollen appendix with fecal calculus, and acute appendicitis was diagnosed. In both cases, laparoscopic appendectomy was performed. Grossly no tumorous lesions were confirmed, but histopathological studies revealed a tumor from the submucosa to the proper muscular layer. These tumors were chromogranin A positive and synaptophysin positive, and were diagnosed as Grade 1 neuroendocrine tumor of the appendix. No additional resections were performed in them. Both patients have been followed in our clinic and are recurrence free. Preoperative and intraoperative diagnosis of the tumor is difficult and it can affect individuals of every ages. We consider that all appendixes resected for appendicitis require histopathological studies.
