A Case of Adrenal Metastasis Treated by Surgical Management after Operations for Colon Cancer and Liver Metastasis

Takaaki Hanyu, Kyo Ueki, Ryuji Wakakuwa, Dai Ishizuka and Takashi Tada

Department of Surgery, Niigataken Koseiren Kariwagun General Hospital

A 60-year-old man underwent unilateral adrenalectomy for a metastatic tumor of the right adrenal gland in November 2002 after CT had shown a high-density tumor in August 2002. In August 1998, ileocolectomy was done for ascending colon cancer without lymph node or distant metastases. In October 2000, right hepatic lobectomy was done for a tumor at hepatic S7. In March 2004, the carcinoma metastasized around the common bile duct. In October 2005, the patient died of intestinal hemorrhage. He had survived 2 years and 11 months since adrenalectomy. Histological examination showed that the colon tumor consisted of moderately differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma and the three metastases of mucinous adenocarcinoma. Serum CEA was within the normal range before resection of the liver and adrenal metastasis, but increased prior to ileocolectomy and when the carcinoma metastasized around the common bile duct. In Japan, of the 29 cases in which resection of adrenal metastasis due to colon cancer was done, only 7 cases with hepatic resection have been reported.

Key words
colon cancer, adrenal metastasis, adrenalectomy

Reprint requests
Takaaki Hanyu Department of Surgery, Niigataken Koseiren Kariwagun General Hospital
2-11-3 Kitahanda, Kashiwazaki, 945-8535 JAPAN

Accepted
September 27, 2006

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