Abstract

Though the primary carcinoma of the vermiform appendix is rare, the secondary carcinoma of the vermiform appendix is extremely rare. About fourty cases have been reported through the world. The breast is most common primary site, and adenocarcinoma is most common form. The metastatic carcinoma of the vermiform appendix, from squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix, were extremely rare. The authors experienced a case of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the vermiform appendix, in thirty-two years old housewife. She was diagnosed with carcinoma of the uterine cervix on December, 1983, and treated with a radical hysterectomy on February, 1984, at Chicago, and with a radiation therapy. She had been suffered from palpable masses on left axilla and left neck region, and and coughing and chest pain. After an excision biopsy, on August, 1984, she showed intestinal obstruction sign including abdominal distension with abdominal pain. A right-sided hemicolectomy was performed on November, 1984. During gross examination, the wall of the distal portion of the vermiform appendix was moderatery thickened, and showed homogeneous light yellow cut surface. On microscopic examination, there were clusters of tumors that had negative stained preparations. On electron microscopic examination, the secretory granules were not found, and the characteristics of squamous cells, including intercellular spaces, desmosomes and tonofibrils, were noted.