Nonrotation of the midgut in adults and appendiceal mucocele are both rare
pathological conditions. We report here the first case of nonrotation of th
e midgut associated with appendiceal mucocele. The patient was a 51-year-ol
d man admitted to hospital with ileus. An upper gastrointestinal series and
a barium enema revealed nonrotation of the midgut without midgut volvulus
and with a mass in the ileocecal area. Laparotomy revealed an appendiceal m
ucocele adhering to the urinary bladder and the rectum. The mucocele had pa
rtly ruptured; yellowish mucinous material had entered the abdominal cavity
, resulting in pseudomyxoma peritonei. Histological examination revealed a
mucinous tumor of the appendix with borderline malignancy. In this patient,
the ileus was caused by the appendiceal mucocele rather than being caused
by nonrotation of the midgut.