Symptomatic gastrointestinal metastases secondary to bronchogenic carcinoma

Gastrointestinal metastases secondary to bronchogenic carcinoma are relatively uncommon and most are found incidentally at autopsy examination in patients with advanced or widely disseminated lung cancer. Occasionally gastrointestinal metastases occurr relatively early in the course of the disease and give rise to a variety of clinical symptoms and radiological abnormalities. Recognition of these abnormalities is important in order that appropriate palliative therapy may be undertaken. The clinical. radiological and pathological findings in 12 patients with symptomatic gastrointestinal metastases secondary to bronchogenic carcinoma were reviewed. Clinical symptoms varied according to the site of metastatic involvement and included dysphagia, epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, anaemia and signs of intestinal obstruction or perforation. The sites of metastatic involvement were: oesphagogastric junction (2 cases); stomach (2 cases); duodenum (1 case): jejunum (3 cases); ileum (2 cases), colon (2 cases). The radiological findings are discussed and illustrated.