Primary Malignancies of the Small Bowel

The clinical records and histologic sections of 96 cases of primary small bowel malignancies (excluding lymphomas and periamullary lesions) were reviewed. The location, clinical presentation, pathologic findings, treatment and outcome are compared to the collected published experience, approximately 2400 cases. There were 48 adenocarcinomas, 37 carcinoids, and 11 leiomyosarcomas. Fifty-one men and 45 women ranged from 31 to 83 years old. Eighty-four caused symptoms leading to operative diagnosis; 12 carcinoids were incidental autopsy findings. The most common presentation was pain (33%) followed by weight loss (23%) obstruction (16%), hemorrhage (15%), jaundice (5%), intussusception (3%) and perforation (3%). Masses were felt in 30% of the cases, but were usually dilated bowel or intussusception rather than the tumor per se. Curative resection was attempted in 80 of 84 operatively diagnosed tumors. The 80% mortality among patients followed 5 years is attributed to the late appearance of symptoms and anatomic obstacles to a truly radical operation.