A Case of Transverse Colon Cancer with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Yasuhiro Yuasa, Hiroshi Okitsu, Kou Uyama, Hisashi Matsuoka, Natsu Okitsu, Hiromitsu Takizawa, Junko Honda, Mitsuteru Yoshida, Atsushi Umemoto and Yasumasa Monden

Department of Oncological and Regenerative Surgery, Tokushima Medicial University

A 73-year-old man administered prednisolon of 5 mg/day for pulmonary fibrosis was admitted for severe bloody stool. Blood analysis indicated severe pancytopenia, i.e., WBC 2.5×10³/mm³, Hb 5.9 g/dl, and PLT 1.0×10³ mm³. Further examination led to a diagnosis of transverse colon cancer associated with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Steroid control was inadequate, so we conducted splenectomy and colonectomy with lymphnode dissection (D₂) synchronously by hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS). The postoperative course was uneventful and he was discharged on 13th postoperative day. Few reports exist about cancer with ITP, and through this case, it appears that splenectomy under HALS is in treating transverse colon cancer assocated with ITP, especially when is necessary other abdominal surgery.

Key words
ITP, transverse colon cancer, HALS

Reprint requests
Yasuhiro Yuasa Department of Surgery, Kochi Red Cross Hospital 51-13-2 Shin-Honmachi, Kochi, 780-8562 JAPAN

Accepted
September 25, 2002

To read the PDF file you will need Abobe Reader installed on your computer.