GENERAL SURGERYCase Presentation

III-B Dr. Erasmo

Members: de Leon, Gemma de Mesa, Angelica

de Vera, Jestha dela Cruz, Ciara

Case: Colon Mass• Female 45 y/o• Moderate severe colicky

abdominal pain• Abdominal distention• Nausea – 2 days

Last month•Weight loss (15 lbs.)

3 weeks •Frequent episodes of watery stools alternating with hard, small caliber stools

24 hrs•Not passed any stool or gas

PTA•Vomited twice

HPI

Family History• Father died at 50 y/o – colon cancer• Aunt (father side) died at 52 – colon

cancer• Cousins diagnosed with some form

of abdominal cancer• Eldest of 4 (40, 36, and 33 y/o) – all

well

Physical Examination• Normosthenic female• vital signs - normal.• Chest and lungs -normal.• Abdomen • globularly distended• normal to hyperactive bowel sounds• soft, nontender.

• DRE - normal.

Clinical working impression

•Obstruction due to possible colon CA

Basis: Hx and PE• Chief complaint:

• Moderate severe colicky abdominal pain• Abdominal distention• Nausea – 2 days

• HPI• PTA, - vomited previously taken food twice. ‐• not passed any stool or gas in the last 24 hours. • frequent episodes of watery stools alternating with hard, small

caliber stools for the last 3 weeks. • lost 15 pounds in the last month.

• FH• Father died at 50 y/o – colon cancer• Aunt (father side) died at 52 – colon cancer• Cousins diagnosed with some form of abdominal cancer• Eldest of 4 (40, 36, and 33 y/o) – all well

Basis: Usual manifestation of Colon Cancer

obstruction• has not passed any stool or gas in the last 24 hours

Change in bowel habits• frequent episodes of watery stools alternating with hard, small

caliber stools for the last 3 weeks

blood streaked stools

Palpable abdominal mass

Basis: Other manifestation of Colon Cancer

Weight loss

Family history of colorectal cancer

Other GI symptoms

Rectal examination

Ancillary Tests• Double contrast Barium enema• Colonoscopy• CT Scan• MRI• Virtual colonoscopy

Double contrast barium enema

• colon is first filled with barium • the barium is drained out, leaving only a thin layer of

barium on the wall of the colon• colon is then filled with air • This provides a detailed view of the inner surface of

the colon, making it easier to see narrowed areas (strictures), diverticula, or inflammation.

• This technique can miss the (less common) flat polyp.

Colonoscopy• A lighted probe called a colonoscope is inserted into the rectum

and the entire colon to look for polyps and other abnormalities that may be caused by cancer.

• A colonoscopy has the advantage that if polyps are found during the procedure they can be immediately removed.

• Tissue can also be taken for biopsy.

CT SCAN• an x-ray test that produces detailed cross-sectional images of your body• Instead of taking one picture, like a regular x-ray, a CT scanner takes

many pictures as it rotates around you while you lie on a table.• A computer then combines these pictures into images of slices of the

part of your body being studied.• Unlike a regular x-ray, a CT scan creates detailed images of the soft

tissues in the body.• This test can help tell if colon cancer has spread into your liver or other

organs.

MRI• provide detailed images of soft tissues in the body• uses radio waves and strong magnets instead of x-rays• useful in looking at abnormal areas in the liver that might be due to

cancer spread• They can also help determine the extent of rectal cancers.• little more uncomfortable than CT scans• First, they take longer -- often up to an hour. • Second, you have to lie inside a narrow tube, which is confining and can

upset people with claustrophobia

VIRTUAL COLONOSCOPY• replaces X-ray films in the double contrast barium enema with a

special computed tomography scan • requires special workstation software in order for the radiologist to

interpret• This technique is approaching colonoscopy in sensitivity for polyps. • However, any polyps found must still be removed by standard

colonoscopy.

Therapeutic plans• • Surgery is the ONLY hope• Adjuvant chemotherapy for Colon CA

– Stage III disease– High risk Stage II disease

• Obstruction• High grade histology

What is your interpretation of Abdominal films?

Differentiating SBO from Paralytic Ileus

SBO Ileus

Pain Colicky Not a prominent feature

Abdominal distension Frequently prominent Sometimes not apparent

Bowel sounds Usually increased Usually absent

Small bowel dilatation Present Present

Large bowel dilatation Absent Present

Mechanical Obstruction of the lumen• Obturation of the lumen• Lesions extrinsic to bowel• Lesions of the bowel• Congenital• Traumatic• Neoplastic

Obstruction secondary to small bowel neoplasm• typically asymptomatic in its early stages, but more than 90% of

patients eventually develop symptoms as the disease progresses

Manifestations in the patient• nausea• vomiting• intestinal obstruction• abdominal pain• weight loss• distended abdomen

Characteristic features on abdominal flat and upright radiographs:• dilated bowel loops• air fluid levels proximal to the point

with little or no gas distally• air fluid levels are more pronounced

and a step ladder pattern is seen

Work-up

• Laboratory evaluation (cbc, serum electrolytes, blood chemistry, cardiopulmonary assessment)

• Contrast radiography• Enterocyclis• Abdominal CT scan• Upper GI series with small bowel follow through • Abdominal Ultrasound

Enterocyclis• Barium small bowel enema• Involves filling the small intestine with barium liquid while xray

images are being taken• 90 % sensitivity in detection of small bowel tumors• Test of choice

Abdominal CT scan• Has low sensivity in detecting mucosal and intramural lesions• Can demonstrate large tumors• Useful in staging intestinal malignancies

Contrast Enema and UGIS with small bowel follow through• Useful if diagnosis is uncertain or demonstrating partially

obstructing lesion• Ba enema is usually done first to rule out colonic obstruction

Abdominal Ultrasound

• May demonstrate larger tumors (>4cm)• Can differentuate between intramural, intraluminal and

extraluminal growth patterns

Initial Treatment• Aggressive fluid resuscitation (rehydrate,

correct elec abn, put foley catheter to monitor urine output)

• Nasogastric suction (to prevent aspiration and for decompression

• Administration of analgesia and antiemetic as indicated clinically

• Antibiotics• Early surgical consultation

.

Surgical excision of small bowel neoplasm• Primary treatment for cancer of the small intestine• For benign neoplasms: Exploratory laparotomy with excision of the

lesion• provides the safest and most direct method for lesion identification

and treatment.

• For malignant neoplasms: Surgical Resection• provides the only hope of cure for patients with small-bowel

adenocarcinomas.• others have have unresectable disease as a result of extensive local

disease or metastases to regional lymph nodes, the liver, or the peritoneum.

Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy• Useful if the cancer is widespread