Acute appendicitis induced by metastatic disease is uncommon. We present the case of an 82-year-old man with known bony metastases secondary to prostatic cancer who presents with a short history of acute abdominal pain. A CT scan was indicative of acute appendicitis and the patient underwent a laparoscopic appendicectomy; a phlegmonous mass seen intraoperatively was suspicious for malignancy, and histopathology confirmed acute appendicitis as well as metastases of prostate cancer. Metastatic disease should be considered as an important differential in all patients with a known history of malignancy, as this may in turn complicate their presenting surgical complaint.
Keywords: appendicitis; general surgery; prostate cancer.
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