The discovery of a tumour mass of the appendix, in an acute or chronic
context, raises the problem of its benign or malignant, inflammatory
or infectious nature. We report five cases of patients operated by the
same surgical team between June 1991 and September 1996, who presente
d macroscopically and histologically with unusual appendicular pseudot
umours: appendicular diverticulosis (n = 1), Crohn's disease localized
to the appendix (n = 2), yersiniosis (n = 1), actinomycosis (n = 1).
The preoperative diagnosis was acute appendicitis (n = 2) or tumour (n
= 3). The postoperative course was uneventful in every case, and spec
ific medical treatment was prescribed in two cases (yersiniosis and ac
tinomycosis). These differential diagnoses must be considered in all a
ppendicular diseases, but they are extremely difficult to confirm preo
peratively.