Jejunal perforation secondary to metastatic bronchogenic carcinoma

A case of peritonitis secondary to the perforation of a bronchogenic small bowel metastasis is reported. To our knowledge this is only the fourth case in which peritonitis was the presenting feature of a squamous cell carcinoma of the bronchus. The publications to date are reviewed and the need to biopsy every small bowel perforation found at laparotomy is stressed.