ABSTRACT
The neoplastic change in patients with Crohn's disease is usually seen in the form of adenocarcinoma. Primary gastrointestinal lymphoma complicating chronic inflammatory bowel diseases is thought to be uncommon. This report describes a case of gastrointestinal lymphoma in a 12-year-old boy with Crohn's disease of one-year duration that initially manifested as an abdominal mass. Although Crohn's disease may present as a palpable abdominal mass, changing symptomatology should always warrant consideration of developing lymphoma complicating inflammatory bowel diseases. It is our hope that this case report gives the clinician an insight into the possibility of lymphoma development, even in the early course of the disease, and stresses the importance of obtaining a reliable histological diagnosis whenever possible.
Subject(s)
Crohn Disease/complications , Intestinal Neoplasms/etiology , Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/etiology , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Child , Humans , Intestinal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Intestinal Neoplasms/drug therapy , Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/diagnosis , Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/drug therapy , MaleABSTRACT
Primary gastric adenocarcinoma is extremely rare in children, and accounts for 0.05% of all gastrointestinal malignancies during childhood. The initial symptoms of epigastric pain, feeling of fullness, belching, and loss of appetite are non-specific and misleading. Nausea, vomiting and weight loss may accompany, which also complicate reaching a prompt diagnosis. In the presented case, a 15-year-old girl admitted with ascites, pleural effusion, right supra-clavicular lymphadenopathy, and back pain. No primary focus of a malignancy was accomplished in radiological evaluation, and the diagnosis of gastric carcinoma was achieved with upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy. We point out the importance of upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy in patients with ascites and uncertain diagnosis of the primary focus of malignancy.
