Laparoscopic Surgery for the Ascending Colon Cancer Associated with Malrotation of the Midgut

Abstract

Malrotation of the midgut is a congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract that usually presents in neonates. Moreover, synchronous colon cancer has rarely been reported. In the present article, we report a preliminary experience with laparoscopic approach for intestinal malrotation with early colon cancer in a 68-year-old woman who presented with bloody stools. Colonoscopy revealed a lateral spreading tumor of the ascending colon. An air-barium contrast enema showed that the entire colon lay within the left hemiabdomen. A computed tomography revealed the superior mesenteric vein rotation sign. At surgery, a condition of malrotation of the midgut was observed: the third and the fourth part of the duodenum descended vertically without Treitz’s ligament, and the small bowel and colon were located in the right and left side of the abdominal cavity, respectively. We mobilized the terminal ileum and the right colon with laparoscopic approach. A 3-cm abdominal incision was made via the umbilicus. Right colectomy with lymph node dissection was achieved following extracorporealization. Pathological examination revealed well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma without nodal involvement. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course. Laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer associated with malrotation of the midgut is feasible and a promising method because of its less invasiveness and its adaptability to the malrotation without extending the skin incision.