A Unique Case of Exploratory Laparotomy in the Setting of Large Bowel Obstruction Led to the Detection of Pancreatic Carcinoma

Smriti Kochhar; Allison Zuckerberg; Mariusz Kocur; Veera Jayasree Latha Bommu; Ifeanyi Ikwuanusi; Thomas Lake; Harrison Cotler; Pramil Cheriyath

doi:10.7759/cureus.21565

A Unique Case of Exploratory Laparotomy in the Setting of Large Bowel Obstruction Led to the Detection of Pancreatic Carcinoma

Cureus. 2022 Jan 24;14(1):e21565. doi: 10.7759/cureus.21565. eCollection 2022 Jan.

Authors

Smriti Kochhar^{1

2}, Allison Zuckerberg¹, Mariusz Kocur³, Veera Jayasree Latha Bommu³, Ifeanyi Ikwuanusi³, Thomas Lake⁴, Harrison Cotler⁵, Pramil Cheriyath³

Affiliations

¹ Medicine, Hackensack Meridian Ocean Medical Center, Brick, USA.
² Medicine, Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, USA.
³ Internal Medicine, Hackensack Meridian Ocean Medical Center, Brick, USA.
⁴ Colorectal Surgery, Hackensack Meridian Ocean Medical Center, Brick, USA.
⁵ General Surgery, Hackensack Meridian Ocean Medical Center, Brick, USA.

Abstract

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the second most common gastrointestinal cancer after colon cancer. There is a delay in the detection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma as it remains asymptomatic in many individuals until it has metastasized to different parts of the body. We present a case of pancreatic cancer causing a large bowel obstruction in a 78-year-old female, detected during an exploratory laparotomy. Despite the increased incidence of pancreatic cancer, there are no screening guidelines that have been enacted for early detection and cure. Practicing clinicians should keep pancreatic cancer in the differential in high-risk individuals.

Keywords: exploratory laparotomy; large bowel obstruction; metastasis; metastatic pancreatic cancer; pancreatic adenocarcinoma; splenic mass.

Publication types

Case Reports