Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Delayed antemortem diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the cecum presenting as lower extremity gas gangrene

  • Published:
Diseases of the Colon & Rectum

Abstract

The rare entity of nontraumatic metastatic gas gangrene is commonly associated with occult gastrointestinal malignancies. Normally the patient's course is fulminant, with rapid demise prior to ascertaining the correct etiology at autopsy. An unusual case is presented in that 65 days following hip disarticulation for gas gangrene the diagnosis of colonic cancer was appropriately suspected and then proven.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gazzaniga AB. Nontraumatic clostridial gas gangrene of right arm and adenocarcinoma of the cecum: report of a case. Dis Colon Rectum 1967;10:298–300.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Mzabi R, Himal HS, MacLean LD. Gas gangrene of the extremity: the presenting clinical picture in perforating carcinoma of the caecum. Br J Surg 1975;62:373–4.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kimball HW, Rawson AJ. Quoted by Jendrzejewski JW, Jones SR, Newcombe RL.16

  4. Valentine JC. Quoted by Jendrzejewski JW, Jones SR, Newcombe RL.16

  5. Whyland WA, Levin MN. Quoted by Jendrzejewski JW, Jones SR. Newcombe RL.16

  6. Scully RE, Galdabini JJ, McNeely BU. Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. N Engl J Med 1979;301:1276–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Burrell MI. Spontaneous clostridial infection and malignancy. AJR 1980;134:1153–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kizer KW, Ogle LC. Occult clostridial myonecrosis. Ann Emerg Med 1981;10:307–11.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Leung FW, Serota AI, Mulligan NE. Nontraumatic clostridial myonecrosis: an infectious disease emergency. Ann Emerg Med 1981;10:312–4.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Manenti A. Gas-gangrene of the right flank. Acta Chir Belg 1981;4:219–21.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Chetta SG, Weber MJ, Nelson CL. Non-traumatic clostridial myonecrosis. J Bone Joint Surg 1982;64:456–7.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Hallock GG, Morain WD. Metastatic nontraumatic gas gangrene. Contemp Surg 1983;22:38–45.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Eraklis AJ, Filler RM, Pappas AM, Bernhard WF. Evaluation of hyperbaric oxygen as an adjunct in the treatment of anaerobic infections. Am J Surg 1969;117:485–92.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Hoeprich PD, ed. Infectious diseases. Hagerstown: Harper and Row, 1979:1152–5.

    Google Scholar 

  15. MacLennan JD. The histotoxic clostridial infections of man. Bacteriol Rev 1962;26:177–276.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Jendrzejewski JW, Jones SR, Newcombe RL. Nontraumatic clostridial myonecrosis. Am J Med 1978;65:542–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Wynne JW, Armstrong D. Clostridial septicemia. Cancer 1972;29:215–21.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Cabrera A, Tsukada Y, Pickren JW. Clostridial gas gangrene and septicemia in malignant disease. Cancer 1965;18:800–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

About this article

Cite this article

Hallock, G.G. Delayed antemortem diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the cecum presenting as lower extremity gas gangrene. Dis Colon Rectum 27, 131–133 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02553996

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02553996

Key words

Navigation