Laparoscopic Mucin Removal in Patients with Pseudomyxoma Peritonei

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pseudomyxoma peritonei results from ovarian and appendiceal mucinous tumors. Cyst rupture results in intraabdominal mucin accumulation, leading to abdominal distension. No effective treatment has yet been established. Pseudomyxoma peritonei is generally associated with a poor prognosis. In a recent Mayo Clinic report, the 5-year survival rate for this disease was 53% and the 10-year survival rate was 32%, while the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center reported 5- and 10-year survival rates of 75% and 10%. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this report, we describe 4 patients with a laparoscopically confirmed recurrence of pseudomyxoma peritonei who subsequently underwent repeated laparoscopic mucin removal. CONCLUSION: Because laparoscopic surgery can be performed frequently, it appears that laparoscopic surgery, a minimally invasive procedure, greatly improves the quality of life of patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei.