Intestinal metastasis of a pulmonary tumor is a rare occurrence but must be suspected in acute abdominal syndrome in a patient with a diagnosed pulmonary neoplasia.
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Emergency surgical treatment of abdominal metastases of a lung cancer is mandatory but prognosis is extremely unfavorable.
Abstract
Introduction
Gastrointestinal metastases from pulmonary neoplasm represent a rare but potentially fatal pathology that can complicate the disease in most advanced stages; this is a rare but well-known phenomenon in Literature and small intestine is the most common metastatic site. Generally these are patients with a known or surgically treated pulmonary neoplasm; the onset of pulmonary neoplastic disease with a symptomatic intestinal metastasis is to be considered extremely rare.
Presentation of cases
We report two cases of small intestine perforation from pulmonary metastasis; diagnosis was made at the time of exploratory laparotomy and the operation was in one patient the resection of the perforated bowel and in the second a resection and an intestinal bypass to overcome the stenosis caused by the metastatic masses. In the postoperative period, a patient died of pulmonary complications, the second was dismissed, but survival was only three months.
Discussion
Intestinal metastasis of a pulmonary tumor is a rare occurrence but must be suspected in acute abdominal syndrome in a patient with a diagnosed pulmonary neoplasia.
Conclusion
Emergency surgical treatment of abdominal metastases of a lung cancer is mandatory but prognosis is extremely unfavorable.