Abstract
A case of type IIc early carcinoma of the rectum is reported. The patient was 75-year-old male admitted to our hospital for total colonoscopy as a minute examination of mass survey using occult blood tests for feces.
Colonoscopy revealed a small shallow depression with fold convergency in the upper rectum and the lesion was confirmed as group 5 by biopsy. Barium enema showed only a swollen fold at the same site. Then, anterior resection with R2 curettage was performed. The operative specimen demonstrated a superficial depression, measuring 5×5mm in size, with fold convergency, which was morphologically comparable to type IIc early gastric Cancer.
Histopathological examination demonstrated well to moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma limited to tunica mucosa without associated lesion of adenoma. And there was no lymphnode metastasis or vascular in vasion. It was considered that this lesion might possibly be a de novo cancer. Up to present, types of early colorectal cancer have been elevated ones in most cases, but now reports of superficially-depressed types have been increasing gradually.
Therefore, we wish to emphasize that efforts must be made to detect not only elevated lesions but also superficially-depressed ones at the early stage of colorectal cancer. These efforts will lead to more satisfactory results in treating patients with colorectal carcinoma.
