Malignant melanoma is the most common metastatic tumor of the gastrointestinal tract and can present with fairly common constitutional symptoms. A 36-yr-old woman was found to have a secondary malignant melanoma in the terminal ileum with profuse aneurysmal dilatation, which is not the typical presentation of the malignant melanoma in the small intestine. Radiologic studies revealed a large tumor involving the distal ileum with aneurysmal dilatations having afferent and efferent loops, which needed to be differentiated from malignant lymphoma and other gastrointestinal tumors. Exploratory laparotomy was done, and we found a huge mass with plentiful aneurysmal dilatations; much the same of the findings from the previous studies. Segmental resection with the surrounding omentum was done followed by end-to-end anastomosis between both ends of the remaining ileum. She had been free from any evidence of the local or systemic recurrence for one year after the completion of eighteen months of the subcutaneous interferon treatment; postoperatively however, the occurrence of metastatic mass at the right axilla rendered us from complete resection due to severe penetration into the vital nerves and vessels in the axilla.
Adult ; Dilatation, Pathologic ; Female ; Human ; Ileal Neoplasms/*secondary ; Ileum/*pathology ; Melanoma/*secondary ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology ; Neoplasms, Unknown Primary/*pathology

Usual sources of subphrenic abscess with intestinal fistula are previous abdominal operation, inflammatory bowel disease and malignancy. Reported cases of intestinal fistula caused by adenocarcinoma were complicated by direct invasion. In this report, a 70-year-old male had a subphrenic abscess with intestinal fistula and the cause was a metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown origin. As far as we know, this has not been reported previously in the literatures. The abscess went on chronic course for six months because intermittent administration of antibiotics modified its clinical presentation. The fistulous tract between the abscess and ileum was demonstrated by tubogram via the drainage catheter in abscess. The patient underwent surgical treatment because the cause of fistula was obscure. Invasion of the ileum by metastatic adenocarcinoma was diagnosed by the histologic examination of surgical specimen. Therefore, when a fistula develops without any apparent cause, there is a possibility of malignancy, and surgical approach must be considered. An early surgical approach will prevent the delay in treatment and reduce the mortality.
Adenocarcinoma/complications/diagnosis/*secondary ; Aged ; English Abstract ; Humans ; Ileal Diseases/diagnosis/*etiology ; Ileal Neoplasms/complications/diagnosis/*secondary ; Intestinal Fistula/diagnosis/*etiology ; Male ; *Neoplasms, Unknown Primary ; Subphrenic Abscess/diagnosis/*etiology

OBJECTIVETo summarive the experience in diagnosis and treatment of primary small intestinal neoplasm.

METHODSThe data of 305 patients with pathologically confirmed primary small intestinal tumor collected from 6 hospitals around the Songhua River during the past 33 years were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSThere were 42 benign and 263 malignant tumors in this series with a ratio of 1: 6.26. The 263 malignant tumors in this series consisted of 135 adenocarcinomas, 57 malignant stromal tumors, 37 malignant lymphomas, 20 carcinoids, and etc. Chronic occult bleeding, gradual of body weight loss and mild abdominal pain (three obscurities) were the common clinical features and alerting massage of intestinal tumor. Correct preoperative diagnostic rate was only 57.0% (174/305) due to difficulty in early diagnosis, which was 67.2% (92/137) in the duodenal tumors, and 51.9% (82/168) in the jejunoileal tumors. All of the 42 benign tumors were resected completely. For the 263 patients with malignant tumors, radical dissection was performed in 153, palliative resection in 34, and gut by-pass or biopsy in 76. The median survival of the patients who underwent radical resection of their malignant tumors was 92 months, which was significantly higher than that of the other groups.

CONCLUSIONEarly diagnosis of primary small intestinal tumors is difficult and with a preoperative misdiagnosis rate of 43.0%. Total intestinal barium swallowing, endoscopy and superior mesenteric arteriography are three critical examinations for diagnosis and location. Early surgical resection is crucial in improving the prognosis. The primary small intestinal tumor should be resected as early as possible if no distant metastasis is detected.

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; secondary ; surgery ; Adenoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoid Tumor ; diagnosis ; secondary ; surgery ; Diagnostic Errors ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Duodenal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; diagnosis ; secondary ; surgery ; Humans ; Ileal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Jejunal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Liver Neoplasms ; secondary ; surgery ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Lymphoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult