Small bowel metastases of lung cancer as unique metastatic lesions: CT, MRI and small bowel enema findings. a case report
Cappabianca, S.; Barberi, A.; Gallo, M.; Del Vecchio, W.; Grassi, R.
Tumori 88(1): 68-71
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 0300-8916 PMID: 12004855 Document Number: 541949
Small bowel metastases of lung cancer as unique secondary lesions are a very rare occurrence and may be clinically missed due to the aspecificity of the symptoms. Diagnosis is usually made at acute abdominal symptomatology that requires emergency surgical treatment. We report a case of 69-year-old woman, previously treated for epidermoid lung carcinoma, complaining only of aspecific asthenia; blood cell count and chemistry showed a moderate but progressive anemia; no signs of small bowel occlusion were present. The follow-up CT scan showed two large masses at the small bowel level, without any evidence of hepatic, lung, adrenal or brain metastases. MRI and small bowel enema confirmed the presence of the masses, and the diagnosis of small bowel metastases was hypothesized. Surgical specimens of the masses confirmed the radiological suspicion.