Chronic vomiting as a nonspecific symptom of small intestine cancer - case report

Abstract

Introduction: Small intestine cancer is a rare gastrointestinal cancer (less than 5%) and makes up 0.3% of all malignancies. The most common clinical symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting and gastrointestinal bleeding. Aim of study: The aim of the study is to draw attention to the rare cases of SBA.The second aim of the study is to review the literature on the diagnosis and therapeutic process of patients suffering from small intestine cancer. Methods:The research method was an individual case study. The research material was the patient's medical record.An unsystematic review of Polish and English-language scientific literature was conducted. Electronic databases: PubMed, SCOPUS and Google Scholar were searched using the following keywords: adenocarcinoma, small intestine, small bowel obstruction, chronic vomiting. Findings:A 39-year-old patient was diagnosed with G2 stage of the SBA with metastases to the nearby lymph nodes. Due to nonspecific symptoms the correct diagnosis was made at an advanced stage of the disease, and thus the implementation of appropriate treatment was delayed. Conclusions: A small number of cases of the disease and non-specific symptoms make the diagnosis of small intestinal cancer extremely difficult. The disease usually develops insidiously and at the time of diagnosis the cancer is already at an advanced stage. A significant weight loss within a short period of time along with persistent vomiting should prompt the doctor for thorough diagnostic procedures. Key words: adenocarcinoma, small intestine, small bowel obstruction, chronic vomiting