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Bowel Obstruction and Pelvic Mass what-sobel_Layout 1 16/03/11 10:57 AM Page 686 Practice CMAJ What is your call? Bowel obstruction and pelvic mass Ally Murji MD, Mara L. Sobel MSc MD Competing interests: None 42-year-old woman presented to the Given the findings of bowel obstruction and a declared. emergency department with a four-day rectosigmoid mass in our patient, we suspected This article has been peer A history of severe constipation, bilious colorectal carcinoma. We proceeded with (c) a reviewed. vomiting and colicky abdominal pain. Her symp- colonoscopy, with the intent of obtaining a tissue Correspondence to: toms started with the onset of menses but dif- sample for diagnosis. Surprisingly, no mucosal Dr. Mara L. Sobel, fered from the crampy dysmenorrhea for which lesions were found. However, at the obstruction [email protected] she had taken over-the-counter analgesics for site, the mucosa was edematous with an a cute CMAJ 2011. DOI:10.1503 many years. She had no history of bloody or angulation of the sigmoid colon, compatible /cmaj.091851 black stool, or changes in her bowel function. with extra luminal compression. These findings, Apart from a 20 pack-year smoking history, her together with the previous imaging results, medical, surgical and family histories were non- pointed to external compression of the bowel contributory. from an adnexal mass or an intramural gastro - On examination, she was afebrile, and her intestinal lesion. As part of the recommended abdomen was soft but distended, with hyperac- workup for a pelvic or ovarian mass,1 we ordered tive, high-pitched bowel sounds. There were no a CA-125 test; the results were not immediately peritoneal signs. With deep palpation, we felt a available. tender, firm mass in the left lower quadrant. On We felt that MRI was the next most appropri- digital examination, her rectum was empty of ate noninvasive diagnostic test. The MRI images stool and contained mucous that tested positive showed a mass arising from within the bowel for occult blood. A pelvic examination suggested wall and extending to the subserosa (Figure 1). a retroverted, mobile uterus, with fullness in the Both ovaries appeared normal. left adnexa and tender nodularities in the pouch Our next step was an urgent exploratory of Douglas. laparotomy, which showed a nodular recto - Laboratory test results were within normal sigmoid mass that was adherent to the rectovag i - limits except for a leukocyte count of 16 (normal nal septum. We mobilized the lesion, resected 3–10) × 109/L. An abdominal radiograph showed the diseased bowel and created a diverting dilated loops of bowel and multiple air–fluid lev- colostomy using the Hartmann procedure. A els, consistent with bowel obstruction. A com- puted tomography scan confirmed an obstruction in the distal portion of the large bowel secondary to a 7-cm rectosigmoid mass with mild ascites. On transvaginal ultrasonography, the mass ap - peared to be 6 cm in diameter and in the left adnexal region, extending posterior to the uterus and in contact with the adjacent bowel. The right ovary appeared normal. What is the next most appropriate diagnostic test or procedure? a. Testing for the cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) tumour marker Figure 1: Sagittal T2-weighted magnetic resonance b. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) image showing a colonic mass (arrow) in a 42- c. Colonoscopy year-old woman with symptoms of large-bowel d. Exploratory laparotomy obstruction. 686 CMAJ, April 5, 2011, 183(6) © 2011 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors what-sobel_Layout 1 16/03/11 10:57 AM Page 687 Practice thorough examination of the pelvis did not find sies tend to be superficial and miss the foci of additional areas of disease. endometriosis that are located in the deeper bowel layers. When deeply infiltrating gastroin- What is your diagnosis? testinal endometriosis is suspected clinically, trans vaginal ultrasonography and MRI may a. Gastrointestinal stromal tumour prove valuable in reaching the diagnosis. With a b. Gastrointestinal lymphoma sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 97%, c. Sigmoid phlegmon (inflammatory mass) transvaginal ultrasonography is the first-line d. Deeply infiltrating gastrointestinal endo - imaging modality for such patients.7,8 Likewise, metrio sis MRI detects invasive intestinal endometriosis Discussion After reviewing the pathology findings (Figure 2), we diagnosed (d) deeply infiltrating gastroin- testinal endo metriosis. Foci of endometriosis were also identified in mesenteric lymph nodes (Figure 3). Endometriosis is characterized by the pres- ence of functional endometrial glands and stroma outside of the uterus. This common con- dition affects up to 10% of women of reproduc- tive age, most often involving the ovaries and utero sacral ligaments. Gastrointestinal involve- ment occurs in up to 34% of women with pelvic endometriosis.2 The diagnosis of gastrointestinal endometriosis may be difficult to establish be - cause its symptoms are relatively nonspecific. Patients may present with abdominal pain, bloat- ing, tenesmus, dyschezia (painful bowel move- ments), rectal bleeding, diarrhea, constipation or 3 obstruction. The differential diagnosis is often Figure 2: Specimen from colon resection. Endo metriotic glands (arrows), stroma broad; the main considerations include appen- and accompanying hemorrhage (H) caused marked thickening of the bowel wall dicitis, diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel dis- and luminal narrowing (hematoxalin–eosin stain, original magnification × 20). ease, irritable bowel syndrome and malignant disease. The incidence of endometriosis causing bowel obstruction is unknown, although com- plete obstruction occurs in less than 1% of pa - tients with gastrointestinal endometriosis.4 The symptoms associated with gastrointesti- nal endo metriosis vary according to the depth and site of involvement. Disease of the small intestine usually manifests as abdominal pain, bloating and obstruction, whereas patients with colonic endometriosis are more likely to present with altered bowel habits (decreased stool cali- bre, diarrhea, constipation, hematochezia) and an abdominal mass.5 Early in the disease process, symptoms may be associated with menses, with cyclical episodes present in 40% of patients with gastro intestinal involvement.6 Often, however, symptoms become continuous as the lesions infiltrate the bowel wall and lead to localized fibrosis, smooth muscle hypertrophy and luminal stenosis. Adding to the challenge of diagnosing gas- Figure 3: Mesenteric lymph node from colon resection showing foci of endo - trointestinal endometriosis is the often false- metriosis (arrows) and hemorrhage (H) (hematoxalin– eosin stain, original mag- negative result of endoscopic biopsies. The biop- nification × 20). CMAJ, April 5, 2011, 183(6) 687 what-sobel_Layout 1 16/03/11 10:57 AM Page 688 Practice with a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of ease.11 Patients with acute diverticulitis tend to 93%, and it may be useful when the results of present with pain in the left lower quadrant of ultrasonography are equivocal.9 Although CA- the abdomen, altered bowel habits, low-grade 125 levels may be elevated in endometriosis, the fever and mild leukocytosis. On pelvirectal test is primarily used as a tumour marker, with a examination, a tender mass may be palpable. sensitivity of 80% for advanced ovarian cancer. Computed tomography is the diagnostic test of However, it has poor specificity and may be ele- choice for acute diverticulitis.11 In our patient, vated in several benign and malignant conditions, phlegmon was unlikely because of the absence including endometriosis and colon cancer.10 of both colonic diverticula and signs of inflam- mation of the bowel wall on imaging. Colonic masses with obstruction A clinical presentation of an abdominal mass Management and bowel obstruction in the context of worsen- Endometriosis can be managed both medically ing gastrointestinal symptoms and equivocal and surgically. In its clinical practice guidelines diagnostic tests frequently raises the sus picion of on the treatment of endo metriosis, the Society of gastrointestinal cancer. Negative findings on Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada rec- colonoscopy do not necessarily rule out malig- ommends combined estrogen–progestin hor- nant disease, because primary extraluminal neo- monal contraceptives or progestin alone as first- plasms and neoplastic changes arising from line medical therapy. Gonadotropin-releasing endometriosis (endometrioid adenocarcinoma hormone agonists and the levo norgestrel- and clear-cell adenocarcinoma) frequently releasing intrauterine device should be consid- involve only the outermost layers of the colon. ered second-line therapeutic options. Non - The differential diagnosis of intramural gastroin- steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs and opioids testinal lesions causing large bowel obstruction may provide effective analgesia while awaiting is shown in Table 1.8,11,12 Although primary col- symptom resolution from hormonal therapy. orectal lymphoma may also present as an extra- Surgery is generally reserved for refractory luminal mass, mucosal involvement often can be symp toms, severe invasive disease, infertility, seen with colonoscopy.11 pelvic mass or diagnostic uncertainty.13 The presence of a colonic mass with intact Management of gastrointestinal endometrio- mucosa can also indicate sigmoid phlegmon, the sis depends on the extent of disease. The Ameri- most common complication of diverticular dis- can Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
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