Submucosal Tunnel Formation as a Complication Caused by Long Intestinal Tube Insertion: A Case Report

Abstract

We present a case of a 76-year-old man with submucosal tunnel formation caused by long intestinal tube (LIT) insertion. The patient had undergone an LIT insertion to treat bowel obstruction caused by ascending colon cancer. Although intestinal decompression was achieved successfully, a procedural pre-scheduled endoscopy incidentally revealed that the LIT had penetrated the abdominal esophageal mucosa and re-entered the gastric lumen, passing through the submucosal layer at the gastroesophageal junction. Therefore, the LIT was removed under endoscopic observation during ileocecal resection surgery and the patient was treated conservatively. The current case suggests that this unfamiliar complication can occur without any signs or symptoms.