Large bowel obstruction due to colon cancer

Case contributed by Stefan Tigges
Diagnosis almost certain

Presentation

Abdominal bloating.

Patient Data

Age: 40 years
Gender: Male

Dilated small and large bowel with transition point at the splenic flexure. Coronal view best shows an obstructing splenic flexure "apple core" colon cancer responsible for the obstruction. No liver lesions, lymphadenopathy or ascites to suggest metastasis.

Case Discussion

Good example of a large bowel obstruction with a clear transition point at the splenic flexure and an obstructing apple core lesion. The most common cause, as in this case, is colon cancer, the next most likely cause is diverticulitis. The obstructing cancer is much better seen on the coronal images, illustrating the utility of multiplanar reconstruction.

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