Intestinal obstruction due to foreign body in a patient with adenocarcinoma of the colon: case report

Background: Approximately one million new cases of colorectal cancer are detected worldwide, causing about one million deaths per year. In Mexico it is the second most common gastrointestinal malignancy, after stomach cancer. The 5-year survival in early stages is > 90%. This condition is incidentally diagnosed by the general surgeon in many cases because ingestion of foreign bodies is a not uncommon condition in adults, reported more frequently in older people because of their dentures. One complication of ingestion of any foreign body is intestinal obstruction. The aim of this study is to analyze management of colon cancer diagnosed incidentally by the general surgeon. Clinical case: We report the case of a 74-year-old male who accidentally swallowed his dentures while eating. After 72 h of admission to our emergency department, his clinical diagnosis was acute abdomen due to intestinal obstruction. Laparotomy was performed and revealed a stenosing mass in the left colon where the dentures were located. Pathology later reported a left colon adenocarcinoma staged as Dukes A. The patient evolved satisfactorily and is currently at 5 years without tumor activity. Conclusions: It would be useful for surgeons who are faced with an intestinal obstruction due to the accidental ingestion of a foreign body in an adult to always suspect stenosis for possible malignancy.