Abstract
We report a case of metastasis to the small intestine from esophageal squamons cell carcinoma presented with small bowel obstruction.
An 85-year-old man complaining of abdominal pain and abdominal distension presented with small bowel obstruction. Adhesive intestinal obstruction resulting from gastric resection was the most likely diagnosis, and conservative therapy was attempted. No remission was attained and so laparotomy was carried out. During surgery, no particular adhesions were seen, but a tumor was identified in the ileum that was determined to be the causative lesion for intestinal obstruction. Intraoperative biopsy was done for a tumor in the right lateral chest wall which had been noted before the operation, and the resection of the small intestine was performed for the small bowel tumor. Pathologically both lesions were diagnosed as well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Because primary lesions were demonstrated by imaging procedures, the tumor of the right lateral thoracic region was diagnosed as rib metastasis and the small bowel tumor as small bowel metastasis from the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, respectively.
When we encounter the patient manifesting gastrointestinal symptoms such as intestinal obstruction who had a previous history of esophageal cancer, small bowel metastasis must be kept in mind as a probable course of the disease.
