Sixty-One-Year-Old Female With Metastatic Poorly Differentiated Carcinoma of the Appendix With Omental Metastasis

Abstract

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare tumors that are often asymptomatic and were once considered benign. A specific subtype that we will dive into in this article is appendiceal neuroendocrine tumors (ANETS). ANETs are the most common tumors located within the appendix. Most often, they present as acute appendicitis and are found incidentally on pathology reports status post appendectomy. The objective of this article is to show that even though most of the ANETs are benign and fully treated via surgery, ANETs still have the potential to become malignant and metastasize. Our patient fits the common features seen in ANETS. She is a middle-aged woman with vague abdominal pain and no clear diagnosis on gastrointestinal (GI) workup. Computed tomography (CT) confirmed appendicitis, and pathology reports status post-surgery confirmed stage IV, pT4, Nx, M1-poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the appendix with omental metastases.