title: Exceptional cause of bowel obstruction: rectal endometriosis mimicking carcinoma of rectum--a case report.
abstract: Endometriosis with intestinal serosal involvement is not uncommon in women of childbearing age. However, endometriosis presenting as colon obstruction is rare and occurs in less than 1% of cases. The Lack of pathognomonic signs makes the diagnosis difficult, mostly because the main differential diagnosis is with neoplasm, even during the intervention. Reported here is a case of a 35-year -old woman presenting with bowel obstruction due to rectal endometriosis. The patient presented signs and symptoms of bowel obstruction. Colonoscopy and radiological findings were suggestive of rectal carcinoma. Surgeons performed an anterior resection with right salpingectomy. Histopathology diagnosed bowel endometriosis. This case demonstrates the difficulty of establishing an accurate pre- and intra- operative diagnosis and the ability of intestinal endometriosis to mimic colon cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of surgery, Mohamed Thahar Maamouri Hospital, Nabeul, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sassi
authors.forename: Mahdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouassida
authors.forename: Hassen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Touinsi
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mongi Mighri
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baccari
authors.forename: Fathi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chebbi
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bouzeidi
authors.forename: Sadok
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sassi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*; D012002:Rectal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*