Intestinal perforation during pregnancy

Three cases of bowel perforation were encountered in pregnant women in a community hospital. Two were associated with mechanical obstruction, and one was of unknown etiology. Displacement of abdominal contents by the gravid uterus may predispose pregnant patients to intestinal obstruction in the presence of an underlying bowel abnormality, such as adhesions or malrotation. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate therapy are necessary to avoid a fatal or a severely morbid outcome.     

Perforated adenocarcinoma of the colon during pregnancy

Performated carcinoma of the colon in pregnant women is a rare event. Only six cases have been reported in the literature, all except one in the recto-sigmoid. We present a case of perforated adenocarcinoma of the colon located above the peritoneal reflection and discuss the problem of diagnosis and management.     

Sigmoid colon cancer during pregnancy

Colorectal carcinoma during pregnancy is a rare event. We report a 23-year-old primigravida with advanced stage adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon diagnosed at 34 weeks of gestation. A healthy female infant was delivered by cesarean section. The treatment of choice was chemotherapy. The patient died 3 months after delivery.     

Carcinoma of the colon presenting as bilateral ovarian tumors during pregnancy

A case of adenocarcinoma of the descending colon during pregnancy is reported. The patient presented with bilateral large ovarian tumors in pregnancy, and surgery was performed for a presumed ovarian cancer. Only a small, 1 X 1-cm primary focus of adenocarcinoma was found in the resected descending colon. The association of pregnancy and colon cancer above the peritoneal reflection is rare, and only 20 such patients have previously been reported.     

Bowel obstruction and perforation during pregnancy: Case report and literature review

ObjectiveBowel perforation during pregnancy is a rare but life-threatening situation, and the management remained uncertain. We presented a case in our hospital and reviewed literatures to provide a guidance to deal with this challenging situation.Case reportA case at gestational age 26 weeks and 4 days, who had bowel perforation over previous ileo-colonic anastomosis site. The fetus was delivered via cesarean section after 1 week of operation and both were discharged without major complication at 35 days after delivery. We searched Pubmed and reviewed 15 English literatures and make a discussion.ConclusionA simultaneous cesarean section could be considered if the gestational age was large enough to avoid the comorbidity of preterm birth or the maternal risk of sepsis outweigh the risk of preterm birth. Otherwise, tocolysis should be used in an attempt to delay delivery until the antenatal corticosteroids have worked.     

Ileus of the colon with cecal dilatation and perforation.

Segmental dilatation of the colon without obstruction is an unusual but recognizable entity, distinct from mechanical obstruction and paralytic ileus. Cases of ileus of the colon with cecal dilatation following delivery and gynecologic surgery are collected from the literature, and 3 recent cases are presented: 1 following cesarean section and 2 following abdominal hysterectomy. The etiology of this condition is still obscure and the clinical features are deceptive. The occurrence of this entity in obstetric and gynecologic patients is by no means a rarity and warrants a familiarity with and early recognition of this entity on the part of the physician in order to avoid serious sequelae.     

Synchronous rectal and colon cancer caused by familial polyposis coli during pregnancy

The management of colon and rectal cancer during pregnancy is controversial and challenging. Rectal or colon cancer during pregnancy is a very rare event. A 29-year-old woman, pregnant with her second child, was diagnosed with rectal cancer causing bowel obstruction and synchronous colon cancer during the 27th week of gestation. Both cancers occurred as a result of familial polyposis. This is the first case of synchronous rectal and colon cancer caused by familial polyposis during pregnancy reported in the published literature. We discuss the therapeutic interventions and the surgical management of the cancer in relation to the gestation.