Peritoneal pseudomyxoma

It consists of the presence of mucus or mucoid material on the peritoneal surface. The most frequent cause of peritoneal pseudomyxoma is rupture of an appendicular tumor. Today, thanks to complete debulking surgery, combined with intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy (HIPEC), we have a highly effective treatment.

peritoneal pseudomyxoma (PMP)

The exact cause of peritoneal pseudomyxoma (PMP) is currently unknown. No specific genetic or environmental factors that cause PMP have been identified. Various types of tumors can cause PMP, and it is not known why some tumors cause PMP and others do not. Tumors of the appendix are the most common primary tumors associated with PMP, but tumors of the ovary, colon, stomach, pancreas, and urachus have also been reported in people with PMP.
Generally, it is believed that when the appendix ruptures, the cells of a mucinous tumor of the appendix spread to the abdominal cavity and attach to the peritoneum and other organs of the abdomen. Mucinous tumors of other organs also lead to the same process. Tumor cells continue to grow in the peritoneum and produce mucin, which accumulates and causes signs and symptoms in people with PMP.

  • Treatment of peritoneal pseudomyxoma depends on the underlying cause of the disease, the location and type of the original tumor (whether it is malignant or benign), and the degree of spread.
Treatment with the combination of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is, in most cases, the most successful treatment, and can increase survival by 84% at 5 years.

Peritoneal mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer derived from the mesothelium, which is the protective covering that covers most of the internal organs. Pleural mesothelioma is the most frequent and the most common cause is asbestos exposure. New surgical techniques such as peritonectomies to achieve a complete resection of the disease have radically changed the prognosis of this disease with high survival rates.