Small bowel obstruction - due to cecal tumor

Case contributed by Ian Bickle
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Distended abdomen.

Patient Data

Age: 70 years
Gender: Male

The small bowel is distended throughout to the level of the ileocecal valve.  Enhancing mass in the cecum, which is covering and obstructing the ileocecal 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 tumors worldwide.  Its is more common in the distal colon, especially the sigmoid colon.  Tumors on the right side can become large before symptomatic.  

Patients presenting with bowel obstruction from colonic tumors usually have a large bowel obstruction, but in this case the tumor is covering the ileocecal 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.

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