Colonic metastasis from carcinoma cervix: an unusual cause of intestinal obstruction

Abstract Intestinal obstruction is a rare complication after pelvic radiotherapy for carcinoma cervix. Metastasis from carcinoma of the uterine cervix to the gastrointestinal tract is uncommon. We report a case of a 36-year-old woman who was treated by concurrent chemo-radiation for stage II B carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Five years later, she presented with acute intestinal obstruction. A laparotomy revealed a metastatic growth in the transverse colon, which was resected. The colon is an unusual site for metastasis from carcinoma cervix, and it has to be differentiated from a primary squamous cell carcinoma of the colon. Resection of the metastatic lesion may help palliate acute intestinal obstruction, and possibly prevent a perforation, which can rapidly become fatal.