CASE REPORT   

Chirurgia 2005 April;18(2):77-80

Copyright © 2005 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Small bowell occlusion after radiotherapy for colorectal cancer

Cavallaro A., Di Mauro D., Caputo G., Lauretta A., Cavallaro V.

Radiotherapy for malignancies in the distal colon, rectum and pelvis cause functional injury (increased permeability, decreamented intestinal transit) and organic injury (hypertrophy of villae and crypts, fibrosis, adhesions, erosions and perforations) in gastrointestinal tracts inglobed in the radiation field. Early symptoms are radiomucositis associated with early weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea. Late effects are bleeding, endotoxiemia, intestinal dismicrobism, mucosal ulcers, bowel occlusion, and occasionally colitis, fistulae, peritonitis. Authors report two cases of resective surgery for intestinal occlusion from small bowel adhesion and fibrosis in patients previously treated with radical surgery, chemiotherapy and radiotheraphy for colorectal cancer.