Contributed by Kevin D. Horn, MD, A. William Pasculle, ScD, Uma N. M. Rao, MD
Published on line in June 1999
PATIENT HISTORY:
The patient is a 78 year old man with a recent history of a moderately differentiated rectal adenocarcinoma. The carcinoma was successfully resected, with negative surgical margins and no evidence of nodal metastases. The patient did well following his surgery, but followup colonoscopy 1 year following surgery noted a 1.1 cm area of the rectal wall which protruded above the surrounding mucosa, with flattening of the overlying mucosa and a firm texture. No other mucosal abnormalities were noted in the exam. The lesion was noted to occupy an area near the original resection site, and, being suspicious for a recurrence, was resected.