Hemorrhagic small intestine cancer with solitary pulmonary metastasis initially presented as suspected primary lung cancer: an autopsy report.

Abstract

Cancer of the small intestine presenting with a solitary pulmonary metastasis is rare. Diagnosis and treatment of hemorrhagic small intestinal disease is clinically problematic due to its anatomic aspect, especially after multiple laparotomies. The case that we present here was a 79-year-old man who was initially diagnosed with suspected T2N2M0 lung cancer. After non-diagnostic results on two bronchoscopic biopsies and computed tomography-guided needle biopsy, he was admitted for thoracoscopic biopsy and possible curative operation. The patient had a history of multiple laparotomies for gastric ulcer and had no abdominal symptoms. A fecal occult blood test was positive; this was thought to be because of persistent bloody sputum. During the preoperative evaluation period, massive intestinal hemorrhage occurred. Intestinal tumor was identified by double-balloon enteroscopy and emergency laparotomy was performed to control the bleeding. The histopathological diagnosis was metastatic adenocarcinoma. However, intestinal bleeding started again. His systemic status deteriorated progressively, resulting in death. Autopsy revealed a large polypoid tumor with hemorrhagic necrosis in the jejunum that was histologically and immunohistochemically diagnosed as primary poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma in the small intestine. Multiple small submucosal tumors with central ulceration were confirmed as intramural metastases. A lung mass in the right lower lobe was diagnosed as a metastatic lesion. In the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, we faced several clinically difficult problems. We here describe in detail the clinical course and the diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties of this rare case, with some references to the literature.