Rectal Endometriosis Revealed by a Colonic Tumor Obstruction: A Case Report

Abstract

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial tissue that is located outside the uterine cavity, associated with fibrosis and inflammatory reaction. The most common atypical locations are the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, lung, as well as abdominal surgical scars. Its diagnosis is still very difficult, especially when it manifests itself as an acute large bowel obstruction. We report the rare case of a 41-year-old patient diagnosed with acute colonic obstruction following a rectal tumor. She had undergone colonostomy even though colonoscopy biopsies were nonspecific, and a computed tomography (CT) scan was requested. It showed an adnexal heterogenous mass, therefore the patient had a laparotomy and a subtotal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and a biopsy of the recto-colonic hinge. Histologic examination revealed a diagnosis of rectal endometriosis. The purpose of this work is to report a rare case of colonic endometriosis responsible for an acute large bowel obstruction.