Small bowel obstruction - due to caecal tumour
Presentation
Presents with a distended abdomen.
Patient Data
Loading images...

The small bowel is distended throughout to the level of the ileocaecal valve. Enhancing mass in the caecum, which is covering and obstructing the ileocaecal valve, in keeping with a colorectal malignancy.
Several adjacent pericolic lymph nodes. No distant metastatic disease.
Case Discussion
Colorectal carcinoma is one of the commonest tumours worldwide. Its is more common in the distal colon, especially the sigmoid colon. Tumours on the right side can become large before symptomatic.
Patients presenting with bowel obstruction from colonic tumours usually have a large bowel obstruction, but in this case the tumour is covering the ileocaecal valve resulting in a small bowel obstruction.
Common sites of metastases, including local lymph nodes, as well as the liver and lungs - see colorectal cancer staging.