Adult intussusception secondary to lymphangioma of the cecum: a case report

Abstract

We report the case of a patient with ileocolic intussusception caused by cecal lymphangioma. A 45-year-old man visited our hospital with a 2-month history of frequent episodes of watery diarrhea (>/= 5 times/day) and intermittent abdominal pain. A cecal submucosal tumor with mucosal ulceration and partial obstruction of the colonic lumen was identified by colonoscopy. He was admitted to our hospital 2 days later due to aggravation of his abdominal pain. Physical examination revealed tenderness over the right abdomen with no peritoneal signs. A double-contrast lower gastrointestinal series showed a right-side colonic lesion with indentation and a peripheral, beak-like sign. Abdominal computed tomography scanning revealed an intra-abdominal mass with the characteristic sausage sign, highly suggestive of intussusception. The patient subsequently underwent right hemicolectomy. The final diagnosis was ileocolic intussusception with cecal lymphangioma, which was confirmed by histopathology. He had an uneventful recovery with follow-up in our hospital. This case highlights the possibility of colonic lymphangioma as the leading point of adult intussusception, and this should be taken into consideration as a possible diagnosis in this uncommon clinical condition.