Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of colon presenting as a parietal abscess

Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract is relatively uncommon. It is associated with a poor prognosis and behaves more aggressively. We report a case of metastatic growth in the ascending flexure of the colon that had eroded into the anterior abdominal wall muscles and resulted in a large parietal abscess. She had undergone radical hysterectomy followed by radiation therapy for stage II carcinoma of the uterine cervix 14 months back. Ultrasound guided drainage of the abscess was done as an emergency procedure to control the sepsis. After 3 days an extended Right Hemicolectomy with stapled ileo colic anastomosis was done with resection of a part of abdominal wall adherent to the growth with a grossly normal margin. Histopathological examination confirmed metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. She is disease free 2 months after surgery. Surgical management of the metastatic tumour was palliative but necessary to prevent intestinal obstruction in future.