Giant sigmoid diverticulum with coexisting metastatic rectal carcinoma: a case report
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Giant diverticulum of the colon is a rare but clinically significant condition, usually regarded as a complication of an already existing colonic diverticular disease. This is the first report of a giant diverticulum of the colon w...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2010-10-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Medical Case Reports |
| Online Access: | http://www.jmedicalcasereports.com/content/4/1/324 |
| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Giant diverticulum of the colon is a rare but clinically significant condition, usually regarded as a complication of an already existing colonic diverticular disease. This is the first report of a giant diverticulum of the colon with a co-existing rectal carcinoma.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report a case of a 66-year-old Caucasian woman who presented with lower abdominal pain, chronic constipation and abdominal swelling. Preoperative abdominal computed tomography revealed a giant diverticulum of the colon with a coexisting rectal carcinoma and pulmonary metastasis revealed on a further thoracic computed tomography. An <it>en bloc </it>anterior resection of the rectum along with sigmoid colectomy, partial hysterectomy and right salpingoophorectomy was subsequently performed due to extensive adhesions.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This report shows that the presence of a co-existing distal colorectal cancer can potentially lead to progressive development of a colonic diverticulum to become a giant diverticulum by increasing colonic intra-luminal pressure and through the ball-valve mechanism. This may be of interest to practising surgeons and surgical trainees.</p> |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1752-1947 |