Small intestine adenocarcinoma with Crohn's disease

We report a 57-year-old male with a 11-years history of Crohn's disease who developed small bowel adenocarcinoma. The patient was admitted with intestinal partial obstruction and he underwent a laparotomy because an abscess in right lower quadrant was suspected. He was successfully treated with resection and adjuvant chemotherapy, without evidence of recurrence after a 2-year follow-up. A review of the literature reveals that about 100 cases have been reported. We describe the distinguishing features of small bowel adenocarcinoma arising in Crohn's disease and we emphasize the difficulty in making an early diagnosis.