Abstract
A 75-year-old man with bowel obstruction was admitted to our hospital for further investigation. Colonoscopy and radiographic contrast enema showed advanced rectal carcinoma with near-circumferential stenosis and a diverticulum of the oral-side intestine. A trans-anal decompression tube was inserted as a single anastomotic operation after reducing the intestinal pressure, but the patient developed fever and abdominal pain 4 days later. Computed tomography revealed perforation by the trans-anal decompression tube. We performed Hartmann's operation, and exposed the tube 15 cm orally from the rectal carcinoma. There have previously been case reports of perforations caused by a trans-anal decompression tube, but the circumstances of our case are very rare.
