Post-endoscopic submucosal dissection phlegmonous enteritis: A case report and literature review

Background: This study presents the initial case of phlegmonous enteritis following endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), a rare and potentially fatal complication. Additionally, a comprehensive review of relevant literature is provided.Case report: A 66-year-old female patient, diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and thrombocytopenia, underwent ESD to address a laterally spreading tumor located in the ascending colon. After the procedure, the patient manifested abdominal pain and a high fever, was diagnosed with peritonitis, necessitating an emergency exploratory laparotomy and right hemicolectomy. Subsequent histological examination indicated a significant presence of neutrophil infiltration across all layers of the intestines. The ascites culture yielded the growth of Escherichia coli.Literature review: A search was conducted in the PubMed database to identify case reports conforming to the definition of phlegmonous enteritis proposed by Rokitansky et al. We retrieved about 30 studies regarding phlegmonous enteritis from 1951 to 2022, with around 39 cases. Among these, only 28 patients had comprehensive medical data available. Subsequently, an examination of the literature was undertaken to explore the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of phlegmonous enteritis.Conclusion: The possibility of phlegmonous enteritis should be taken into consideration in cases of unexplained acute abdomen, particularly in patients with compromised immunity, in order to provide active surgical and antibiotic interventions.