MUCOCELE the appendix has been described in the literature under the names of hydrops, retention cysts, cystic disease, cystic dilatation, colloid cysts, mucoid disease and myxoglobulosis of the appendix. Rokitansky1 in 1842 described mucocele of the appendix. Virchow,2 in 1863 gave a full pathological description of the disease process. Feré3 in 1876 named the condition "mucocele of the appendix."
The incidence of mucocele of the appendix at operation is listed in the literature as varying from 0.114 to 0.33%.5 At postmortem examination the incidence rates vary from 0.045a to 0.2%.6 The age range of patients is from 4 to 70 years, with the most frequent incidence being between 42 and 57 years. The ratio of males to females is 1.4 to 1.5c
The cause of this disease is obstruction. This view has experimental and clinical support. Grodinsky and Rubnitz,7 after the