Acute appendicitis with incidental angioleiomyoma of the appendix: a case report

Introduction: Angioleiomyomas are rare benign tumors arising from the smooth muscle of vascular walls, most commonly affecting the subcutaneous tissues of the lower extremities in middle-aged women. Visceral involvement is exceedingly uncommon, with only a handful of cases reported in the gastrointestinal tract, particularly in the small intestine. To date, there are no well-documented cases of angioleiomyoma originating from the appendix. Case presentation: We report the case of a 58-year-old woman who presented with acute abdominal pain and was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. She underwent a laparoscopic appendectomy, and histopathological examination revealed acute suppurative appendicitis with distal perforation, along with an incidental submucosal angioleiomyoma. The patient’s postoperative course was complicated by an intra-abdominal abscess, requiring reoperation followed by conservative treatment. Clinical discussion: This report describes the first known histologic finding of appendiceal angioleiomyoma and raises the possibility that such a lesion may contribute to luminal obstruction and the development of appendicitis. It also emphasizes the importance of routine histopathological examination of appendectomy specimens. Conclusion: Surgical excision was curative, and no further follow-up was required. This report describes the first known histologic finding of appendiceal angioleiomyoma and raises the possibility that such a lesion may contribute to luminal obstruction and the development of appendicitis. It also emphasizes the importance of routine histopathological examination of appendectomy specimens. Surgical excision was curative, and no further follow-up was required.