Desmoid Tumor Mimicking Acute Appendicitis: Unusual Diagnostic of Right Iliac Fossa Pain

Case Report

Austin J Radiol. 2025; 12(1): 1250.

Desmoid Tumor Mimicking Acute Appendicitis: Unusual Diagnostic of Right Iliac Fossa Pain

EL AZOUZI M, BENTAHAR A, SLIMANI A, ELGUAZZAR A and EL FIKRI A

1Radiology Department, Military Hospital Mohammed V, Rabat, Morocco

2Radiology Department, Military Hospital Moulay Ismail, Meknes, Morocco

3General surgery Department, Military Hospital Avicenna, Marrakech, Morocco

4Radiology Department, Military Hospital Avicenna, Marrakech, Morocco

*Corresponding author: EL AZOUZI Mehdi, Radiology Department, Military Hospital Mohammed V, Rabat, Morocco Tel: +212622216733; Email: Mehdi.med.maroc@gmail.com

Received: February 03, 2025; Accepted: February 17, 2025; Published: February 20, 2025

Abstract

Desmoid tumors are rare neoplasms that can occur at any age, with a predominance in women. Their exact aetiology remains poorly understood, but three factors appear to influence their development: genetic, traumatic and hormonal.

The main manifestation of these tumors is a painless mass that gradually increases in size, sometimes accompanied by symptoms associated with compression of neighbouring structures. The diagnosis is suspected by radiological examination and confirmed by pathological examination, which reveals a benign proliferation of fibroblasts.

The serious nature of these tumours lies in their tendency to recur and their potential for local invasiveness. Surgical treatment, consisting of carcinological excision, is preferred when local conditions allow, or other treatment options may be considered, such as radiotherapy.

Keywords: Desmoid tumor; Abdominal wall; Aggressive fibromatosis; Right iliac fossa pain

Introduction

Desmoid tumors are rare lesions with no metastatic potential. However, they have a strong tendency to invade locally and to recur. They account for 3% of all soft tissue tumours and 0.03% of all neoplasms [1].

We report the case of a young female patient with no history of trauma, surgery or pregnancy who presented to emergency with right iliac fossa pain and was found to have a desmoid tumor of the abdominal wall which progressed favourably after surgical treatment.

In this case report, we discuss the clinical and radiological aspects of desmoid tumors and the treatment modalities.

Case Presentation

A 30-year-old woman presented to the emergency department complaining of acute right iliac fossa pain, which had been present for two days. The pain started suddenly, remained constant and intensified over time. She also suffered loss of appetite and nausea. There were no signs of fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation or urinary problems. The patient had no previous medical or surgical history and had never suffered from appendicitis or diverticulitis. On examination, she appeared healthy, with normal vital signs and a body mass index (BMI) of 23 kg/m2. Abdominal examination revealed a soft, undistended abdomen with normal bowel sounds and deep McBurney point tenderness. Rebound tenderness in the right iliac fossa, Rovsing's sign, psoas sign and obturator sign were all negative. Analysed blood parameters and urine cytobacteriological examination were within the normal range.

The patient was referred to the radiology department on suspicion of appendicitis. An abdominal ultrasound examination revealed a heterogeneous mass at right antero-lateral abdominal wall. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to better characterise the mass and revealed a well limited mass measuring 40x35mm, developed at the expense of the fascia of the right external oblique muscle, isointense to the muscles on T1-weighted-sequences (T1WI) and hyperintense on T2-weighted sequences (T2WI) and short tau inversion recovery (STIR) image with heterogeneous post-contrast enhancement. This mass was surrounded by a pseudo-capsule hypointense on T1WI and T2WI (Figure 1).