Obstetrics & Gynecology Email Alerts
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Obstetrics & Gynecology 2005;105:719-724
© 2005 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ayhan, A.
Right arrow Articles by Kucukali, T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ayhan, A.
Right arrow Articles by Kucukali, T.
Related Collections
Right arrow Gynecologic oncology

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Routine Appendectomy in Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma: Is It Necessary?

Ali Ayhan, MD*, Murat Gultekin, MD*, Cagatay Taskiran, MD*, Mehmet Coskun Salman, MD*, Nilufer Yigit Celik, MD*, Kunter Yuce, MD*, Alp Usubutun, MD* and Turkan Kucukali, MD{dagger}

From the *Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, and {dagger}Department of Pathology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey.

Address reprint requests to: Address correspondence to: Dr. Murat Gultekin, Naci Cakir Mahallesi 1. Cadde, Kubra Apt. 1/1, Dikmen, Ankara, Turkey; e-mail: drmuratgultekin{at}yahoo.com.

OBJECTIVE: To detect risk factors for the appendiceal metastasis and to define the role of routine appendectomy in patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

METHODS: A total of 285 patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma who had undergone primary cytoreductive surgery including appendectomy were retrospectively evaluated. Appendiceal involvement was divided into 2 groups: gross and microscopic. Clinicopathologic variables were evaluated for possible significance in terms of appendiceal metastasis. A second analysis was performed using the same variables to detect a possible relation with microscopic metastasis. In a subgroup analysis, we also analyzed the role of routine appendectomy in patients with clinically early stage disease.

RESULTS: One-hundred six patients were found to have appendiceal metastasis (37%). Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed stage of disease as the unique factor determining the appendiceal metastasis (P < .001). Five patients with apparently stage I-II disease were upstaged due to isolated appendiceal metastasis (4.9%). In the second analysis excluding the patients with gross involvement, ascites was an independent predictor of microscopic involvement (P < .01).

CONCLUSION: Routine appendectomy is indicated in all epithelial ovarian carcinoma patients as part of the initial surgical staging procedure because of a considerable rate of upstaging in early stage disease and optimal cytoreduction in advanced stages.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-3






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2005 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.