Primary adenocarcinoma in an ileostomy: a late complication of surgery for ulcerative colitis

In the 1950s the treatment of ulcerative colitis was revolutionized by Brooke by way of a colectomy combined with an eversion ileostomy. This procedure is known to be associated with a number of complications that include skin excoriation, stenosis, intestinal obstruction, retraction or prolapse of the stoma, abscess and fistula formation, and ileitis. However, adenocarcinoma arising in the abnormally placed small intestinal mucosa 20 years or more after the initial operation is being increasingly recognized and reported. This article describes one such case and includes an extensive review of the current world literature on the subject of adenocarcinoma arising as a late complication of operation for ulcerative colitis.