Fatal neutropenic colitis complicating successful chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer: a case report

Neutropenic colitis, a severe necrotizing enteropathy, is being recognized with increasing frequency as a life-threatening complication of aggressive chemotherapy mainly for lymphoproliferative and hematologic malignancies. It is often under-recognized clinically, despite its potentially lethal outcome. Both medical and surgical approaches to management are possible. We describe a case of neutropenic colitis involving predominantly the transverse colon in a patient successfully treated for limited-disease small cell lung cancer. This is only the second reported case of neutropenic colitis complicating chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer. A brief review of the diagnosis, clinical features, and management is presented.