Adenocarcinoma of ileum: a case report

Small bowel cancers are a rare group of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Adenocarcinoma of ileum is an even rarer pathology to come across. We had a case of small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) who presented with recurrent abdominal pain and vomiting to different local hospitals. Abdominal ultrasound showed dilated bowel 4.7cm in size with sluggish movement. Patient was treated symptomatically for 3 months with poor outcome. Then patient presented in our hospital as an e m e r g e n c y w i t h i n t e s t i n a l o b s t r u c t i o n a n dhaemodynamic instability. Exploratory laprotomy was performed after initial optimization. A hard stricture was found in ileum. The segment of ileum with suitable margins was resected and loop ileostomy was performed. Histopathology findings indicated an adenocarcinoma of ileum. Our rationale to report this case is to raise awareness among physicians about SBA in patients with vague abdominal pain and vomiting, and the fact that negligence in diagnosing this rare cancer can turn it into a surgical emergency which increases the morbidity and mortality in patients.