Obstructive Colitis Proximal to Obstructive Colorectal Carcinoma

• Main Authors: Hye Kyung Chang, Byung Soh Min, Yong Taek Ko, Nam Kyu Kim, Hogeun Kim, Haeryoung Kim, Chang Hwan Cho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2009-01-01
• Series: Asian Journal of Surgery
• Subjects: colitis; colorectal neoplasms; intestinal obstruction; ischaemia
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1015958409600051

The term “obstructive colitis” refers to ulceroinflammatory lesions occurring in the colon proximal to a completely or partially obstructing lesion. It has been referred to by various terms in the literature. This entity differs from the carcinoma of the colon that complicates true ulcerative colitis where there is involvement distal to the neoplasm as well as proximal to it. Although it has appeared in the literature over several decades, it remains an uncommon and troublesome disease. In Yonsei University Medical Center, for 11 years from January 1996 to December 2006 we encountered seven patients with obstructing colorectal carcinoma complicated by obstructive colitis. Here we report our cases to share our experience and to review the literature to facilitate the recognition and proper management of this rare disease entity.