Unusual case of anorexia

We report the case of a 15-year-old female patient suffering from progressive anorexia, weight loss and recurrent abdominal pain, initially diagnosed as anorexia nervosa. She eventually presented with severe malnutrition and acute bowel obstruction, revealing a mass of the transverse colon. A well-d...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ case reports 2018-06, Vol.2018, p.bcr-2017-223739
Main Authors: Darmaun, Laura, Aubry, Estelle, Lejeune, Sophie, Sudour-Bonnange, Helene
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen
Age
Anorexia
Case reports
Chemotherapy
Colonoscopy
Colorectal cancer
Constipation
Localization
Lymphatic system
Metastasis
Pain
Patients
Pediatrics
Teenagers
Tumors
Ultrasonic imaging
Unusual Association of Diseases/Symptoms
Vomiting
Young adults
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We report the case of a 15-year-old female patient suffering from progressive anorexia, weight loss and recurrent abdominal pain, initially diagnosed as anorexia nervosa. She eventually presented with severe malnutrition and acute bowel obstruction, revealing a mass of the transverse colon. A well-differentiated Lieberkühn adenocarcinoma was established by histology. The patient underwent transverse and right colectomy and was treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is predominantly a disease of older adults and is extremely rare in children and adolescents. Seldom suspected, it is more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage, with unfavourable tumour histology and poor outcome. Young patients diagnosed with CRC should receive genetic counselling regardless of their family history or tumour type. This reports’ take-home message is that recurrent and persistent digestive symptoms in the young should alert physicians and lead to further investigations.
ISSN:1757-790X
1757-790X
DOI:10.1136/bcr-2017-223739