Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a condition caused by the production of abundant mucin or gelatinous ascites by tumor cells, which fills the abdominal cavity. The tumors cause fibrosis of tissues and impede digestion or organ function. If left untreated, tumors and mucin will eventually build up to the point where it compresses vital structures: the colon, the liver, kidneys, stomach, spleen, pancreas, etc.
The disease rarely spreads through the lymphatic system or through the bloodstream. This disease is most commonly caused by an appendiceal primary cancer (cancer of the appendix); mucinous tumors of the ovary have also been implicated, although in most cases ovarian involvement is favored to be a metastasis from an appendiceal or other gastrointestinal source.
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