1996 Volume 57 Issue 8 Pages 1992-1996
A case of colonic cancer with multiple diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon is reported. A 59-year-old man was referred to the hospital because of high fever and lower abdominal pain. Diverticulosis and a narrowing of the sigmoid colon with the length of approximately 4cm were found by barium-enema. Colonofiberscopy revealed a mass lesion of the colon, but the mucosa was intact and biopsy at that point was negative for tumor. Surgical exploration of the abdomen disclosed diverticulosis and a mass lesion. A sigmoid colectomy was performed with end-to-end anastomosis. No evidence of regional lymphatic metastasis was found. As of 15 months after the operation, the patient remains clinically free of disease. It is currently assumed that there is no causal relation between diverticulosis and cancer of the colon. It has been reported, howerver, diverticulosis of the sigmomid colon, especially multiple type, can arises in association with a sigmoid colon cancer in a high rate when making the diagnosis of cancer becomes more difficult if diverticulitis is associated at the same time.
We conclude that it is the best approach to operation patients with diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon having symptoms such as bleeding and stenosis which are suspecious of associated colonic cancer, even if the difinitive diagnosis can not be made.
