A patient with gastric cancer in whom chemotherapy could be continued after a migrated gastrointestinal metallic stent stayed in the splenic flexure

Abstract

A 64-year-old woman visited our hospital because of inappetence, stomachache and vomiting. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed advanced gastric cancer with antral stenosis. We placed a metallic stent at the stenotic region, and the patient received chemotherapy. After 8 courses of chemotherapy, the patient developed abdominal pain and vomiting. Computed tomography (CT) revealed that the small bowel was obstructed with the migrated metallic stent. CT performed three days later revealed that the stent had moved to the splenic flexure, and the ileus was improved. The stent could not be removed with the colonoscope. Since the patient was stable, we restarted chemotherapy.

The stent remained in the splenic flexure, and we continued to administer chemotherapy for five months, when the patient died of pneumonia. Early detection of migrated stent is important for successful treatment. Periodic imaging examination is necessary for patients with a gastrointestinal metallic stent.