Primary Signet-Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Colon: A Rare and Aggressive Tumor
Sarra El Fassi1, Hassan Ouaya1, Sanae Chaib2
1Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tangier, MAR.
Abstract:
We report the case of a 50-year-old man who presented with progressive abdominal distension, weight loss, and ascites. Imaging revealed ileocecal wall thickening associated with peritoneal involvement. Colonoscopy demonstrated a circumferential, stenosing, ulcerative lesion in the cecum that was friable and could not be traversed by the endoscope. Histopathological examination of biopsy specimens confirmed signet-ring cell carcinoma. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed no evidence of a gastric primary tumor, and computed tomography excluded distant metastasis, supporting a primary colonic origin. The patient was started on XELOX chemotherapy (capecitabine and oxaliplatin). This case highlights the diagnostic challenge of this entity, particularly in the presence of atypical features.
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