Published online May 21, 2016. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i19.4781
Peer-review started: January 21, 2016
First decision: March 7, 2016
Revised: March 20, 2016
Accepted: March 30, 2016
Article in press: March 30, 2016
Published online: May 21, 2016
Processing time: 117 Days and 23.4 Hours
Although primary gastrointestinal lymphoma is a rare malignancy, it can cause an intussusception in adults and can be a clinically challenging condition to manage. Intussusception could progress to life-threatening complications if left untreated or could delay chemotherapy if inappropriate surgical management is used. We report a 31-year-old man diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus who was being treated with antiretroviral therapy. He presented with nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, and intermittent, cramping abdominal pain for over 1 wk. Abdominal computed tomography revealed a well-defined homogeneous mass in the mesenteric root region, together with a long segmental wall thickening in the ileum with ileocolic-type intussusception, which was suspected to be caused by a lymphoma. The intussusception was successfully laparoscopically reduced, and the tumor involvement of the appendix was confirmed by appendectomy with intraoperative frozen section. Systemic chemotherapy was immediately initiated after surgery without the need for bowel resection.
Core tip: In general, surgical management of adult with an intussusception mandates the resection of the involved bowel segment. However, the surgical resection of an intussusception that is caused by intestinal lymphoma is controversial because the intestinal involvement is generally diffuse. Concerning the diffuse invasive characteristics of gastrointestinal lymphomas, laparoscopic reduction of intussusceptions and appendectomy with intraoperative frozen section were both performed that enabled us to intraoperatively identify the tumor involvement of the resected appendix. By avoiding bowel resection, systemic chemotherapy could be initiated early after surgery.