Projectile vomiting as presentation of duodenal intramural metastasis from cervical cancerLearning points

Abstract

Objective: To report a case and review literature of bowel metastases from cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Case Report: A 49-year-old woman with a history of FIGO 2013 stage IVB cervical squamous cell carcinoma presented with refractory nausea, projectile vomiting, anorexia, postprandial abdominal pain, and significant weight loss for six months. Restaging images didn't reveal viable tumors but thickened duodenal wall indicating gastric outlet obstruction. Initially, the etiology was masked by chronic erosive duodenitis and mistreated as a duodenal ulcer. After repeated gastrointestinal endoscopic biopsy confirming intramural duodenal metastasis from cervical squamous cell carcinoma, the patient was treated successfully by gastrojejunostomy and adjuvant chemotherapy. She has remained asymptomatic and disease-free for more than 12 months since the surgical metastasectomy. Conclusion: Intestine metastasis from cervical cancer is a rare cause that may present as projectile vomiting due to gastric outlet obstruction. Prompt recognition and surgical intervention may provide good outcomes despite the metastatic nature.

Keywords

• Duodenum
• Gastric outlet obstruction
• Uterine cervical neoplasm
• Vomiting