Carcinoma of the sigmoid: a complication of ureterosigmoidostomy

The case of a 58-year-old man who had carcinomatous change in the sigmoid colon many years after ureterosigmoidostomy prompted the authors to review the French and English literature on the subject. They found 47 cases in addition to their own, and noted a dramatic increase in the last 10 years, even though ureterosigmoidostomy is now seldom used. The latency of this complication makes it pertinent today. In the hope of determining the etiology of the complication, the authors studied the relation between the initial lesion for which the diversion was carried out and the nature of the colonic tumour that ensued, and have attempted to draw some conclusions. None of the current theories of pathogenesis seem satisfactory. By underlying the early clinical manifestations, the authors attempt to promote earlier diagnosis and better chances of survival for patients with carcinoma of the colon after ureterosigmoidostomy.