[Crohn disease and carcinoma of the small intestine]

A case of cancer of the small bowel associated with Crohn's disease with onset 21 years after the first clinical signs of the latter is reported. The patient survived for 20 months after cancer diagnosis. After noting the rare association between the two conditions, the aetiopathogenetic relations that can be called on to explain relations of causality are analysed and it is emphasised that it is impossible to distinguish symptoms from those of cancer due to the renewed inflammatory activity. Finally it is considered that to clarify unequivocably the relations between the two conditions further studies are required.