Metastatic carcinoid tumour mimicking cholecystitis, and a rare case of intussusception

This report describes an acute presentation of obstructive jaundice, with a clinical picture of cholecystitis. A primary carcinoid tumour in the terminal ileum with hepatic secondaries was found to be the cause. Additionally, in the terminal ileum was a closely associated lipoma leading to an ileo-caecal intussusception. There are few such cases in the literature, particularly in the absence of any changes in bowel habit or lower abdominal pain. The majority of cases of intussusception in clinical practice occur in the paediatric population. Of the small numbers (<5%) that occur in adulthood, the underlying aetiology is most commonly a primary adenocarcinoma, with a far smaller number being attributable to lipoma, lymphoma and polyps.