RESUMO
Post-polypectomy syndrome (PPS) is a complication that may arise after some colonoscopy procedures that require electrocoagulation, due to a transmural burn, which irritates the serous membrane. Its clinical presentation is similar to the one of intestinal perforation, but it has a favorable prognosis, and does not require surgical treatment. We report the case of a 55-year-old woman diagnosed with a polyp in the ascending colon, who was admitted for an endoscopic resection. After the procedure, she complained of nausea, emesis and abdominal pain in the right iliac fossa. She was transferred to the emergency department. An abdominal tomography showed cecal wall thickening without pneumoperitoneum. Therefore, the diagnosis of PPS was made and was managed with bowel rest, parenteral fluids and antibiotics, with full recovery. Despite of its low incidence, it is important to suspect this syndrome to avoid unnecessary surgical treatment and initiate medical management right away.
RESUMO
Resumen Introducción: el cáncer colorrectal es la cuarta causa de mortalidad asociada con cáncer en el mundo. La identificación de las metástasis de este tumor en el momento prequirúrgico es cada vez más frecuente por los estudios imagenológicos con los que se cuenta en la actualidad. Presentamos el caso de una paciente con infección por Enterobius vermicularis que simula la presencia de metástasis hepáticas. Presentación del caso: se presenta el caso de una paciente femenina proveniente del área rural, con dolor abdominal de 1 año de evolución asociado con hemorragia de vías digestivas bajas y pérdida de peso. Las imágenes y estudios endoscópicos muestran una lesión tumoral en el colon sigmoide con biopsias que reportan adenocarcinoma de colon sigmoides, además de lesiones hepáticas sugestivas de malignidad. Se llevó a resección anterior de recto y sigmoides con anastomosis alta y toma de biopsias hepáticas, que descartaron la malignidad e informaron la presencia de infección hepática por E. vermicularis. Discusión: La infección por E. vermicularis a nivel hepático presentada en el caso es poco frecuente, dicha infección puede simular la presencia de metástasis hepáticas, por lo cual debe tenerse en cuenta como diagnóstico diferencial de enfermedad metastásica de cáncer colorrectal.
Abstract Introduction: colorectal cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The identification of the metastases of this tumor in the preoperative stage is increasingly frequent due to the imaging studies currently available. We present the case of a patient with an infection caused by Enterobius vermicularis that simulates the presence of liver metastases. Case presentation: a female patient from a rural area showing a one-year abdominal pain evolution associated with lower gastrointestinal tract bleeding and weight loss. Endoscopic imaging and studies displayed a tumor lesion in the sigmoid colon, with biopsies reporting sigmoid colon adenocarcinoma and liver lesions suggesting malignancy. Anterior resection of the rectum and sigmoid was performed with high anastomosis and liver biopsies, which ruled out malignancy and reported the presence of liver infection by E. vermicularis. Discussion: in this case, the hepatic E. vermicularis infection was rare. This infection can simulate the presence of liver metastases; therefore, it should be considered a differential diagnosis of metastatic colorectal cancer.
