Large Bowel Obstruction Caused by Metastatic Prostate Cancer: A Case Report

Bowel obstruction is a frequently encountered condition worldwide that causes numerous admissions to hospitals. Metastatic carcinoma has been identified as one of the infrequently encountered causes of bowel obstruction. Prostate cancer typically metastasizes to lymph nodes, bone, lungs, liver, and brain. In this article, we reported the case of a 75-year-old man who presented with bowel obstruction due to narrowing and stricture of the rectum. Primary rectal mass was initially diagnosed, but upon further investigation, it was found that the mass resembled prostate tissue. The bowel obstruction was managed surgically with a colostomy. The patient was later referred to oncology for chemotherapy and hormonal therapy.

Congenital Incomplete Rotation of the Colon With Adhesive Obstruction in an Adult

Intestinal obstruction is an entity commonly encountered by general and colorectal surgeons. Anatomic abnormalities account for only a small fraction of cases of complete or partial obstruction. This case report focuses on a 51-year-old female presenting with acute on chronic large bowel obstruction. Workup revealed an exceedingly rare anatomic abnormality: a medialized descending colon, traveling adjacent to the abdominal aorta, with a transition point and dense bands just distal to the splenic flexure. She underwent exploratory laparotomy with division of the constrictive bands and subsequently experienced near-complete resolution of her chronic obstructive symptoms.

Large bowel obstruction in palliative care: overview, management and monitoring

Patients with pelvic and abdominal cancers usually present with bowel obstruction, especially peritoneal, colorectal, and pancreatic carcinomatosis. A poor prognosis has been reported for patients that suffer from gastrointestinal bowel obstruction secondary to later stage carcinomatosis, although maximal treatment approaches might have been administered. In this context, these patients are suggested to survive for only a few weeks to months, and parenteral nutrition did not enhance the outcomes in these situations. Medical treatment includes the administration of corticosteroids, opioids, anticholinergics, octreotide, and anti-emetics, while surgical outcomes might be more efficacious with more favorable clinical outcomes. However, these operations have been reported with multiple complications that might worsen the prognosis. Stent application is another non-surgical modality with fewer adverse events. Nevertheless, evidence regarding its superiority over the surgical approaches is conflicting among the different studies in the literature. Accordingly, further investigations are still needed for adequate validation.

Colonic stenting in acute malignant large bowel obstruction - an audit of efficacy and safety in a tertiary referral centre in Singapore

Introduction: Acute malignant large bowel obstruction (MBO) occurs in 8-15% of colorectal cancer patients. Self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) have progressed from a palliative modality to use as bridge-to-surgery (BTS). We aimed to conduct a clinical audit on safety and efficacy of SEMS for MBO in our institution. Methods: Data from a prospectively maintained electronic database in a tertiary referral centre in Singapore was reviewed for all consecutive patients undergoing SEMS insertion for MBO. Technical success defined as successful SEMS deployment across tumour without complications. Clinical success defined as colonic decompression without requiring further surgical intervention. Rates of complications, median time to surgery, types of surgery and rates of recurrence were studied. Results: 79 patients underwent emergent SEMS placement from September 2013 to February 2020. Mean age 68.8±13.8 years, male 43/79 (54%). Mean tumour length 4.2cm±2.2cm; 89.9% (71/79) distal to splenic flexure. Technical and clinical success was 94.9% (75/79) and 98.7% (74/75), respectively. Perforation occurred in 5.1% (4/79), with no cases of stent migration or bleeding. 50/79(63.3%) of SEMS inserted as BTS. Median time to surgery was 20 days (range 6-57). Majority (41/50;82%) underwent minimally invasive surgery (robotic-assisted 7/50,14%; laparoscopic 34/50,68%). Primary anastomosis rate was 98% (49/50). 39 patients had follow-up beyond 1-year post-treatment (median 34 months). Local recurrence and distant metastasis were observed in 4/39(10.3%) and 5/39(12.8%), respectively. Conclusion: SEMS acute MBO has high technical and clinical success rates with a good safety profile. Majority of patients in our audit underwent minimally invasive surgery and primary anastomosis after successful BTS.