2654 Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma to the Small Bowel Masquerading as Crohn’s Disease: A Diagnostic Dilemma

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common type of cancer in the world. The presence of distant metastasis after the initial treatment of head and neck cancers is associated with a poor prognosis. The most frequent site for distant metastasis of HNSCC is lung, followed by mediastinal lymph nodes, bone and liver. Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) to the small bowel is an extremely rare occurrence. We present a unique case of a patient with HNSCC who presented with small bowel obstruction and concern for Crohn’s disease (CD) but was ultimately diagnosed with metastatic SCC. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: A 67 year old Caucasian male with a history of SCC of the left pinna and epiglottis on cisplatin chemotherapy and radiation therapy, presented with 2 weeks of intractable nausea, vomiting, and peri-umbilical abdominal pain. Lab work revealed leukocytosis with WBC 16,000. CT abdomen and pelvis was notable for dilated small bowel loops and a long segment thickening of the distal ileum causing a partial small bowel obstruction (Figure 1). His symptoms persisted despite nasogastric decompressiontube and antibiotics. An abdominal MRI showed similar findings of long discontinuous segments of diffuse distal small bowel thickening, luminal narrowing and mural enhancement with concern for small bowel CD. Given these findings, an empiric course of steroids was initiated. Patient’s symptoms improved and he was discharged from the hospital..To further evaluate the small bowel, he underwent a retrograde balloon enteroscopy, which showed subtle findings of multiple sub-centimeter distal ileal nodules (Figure 2), but no other abnormalities. Biopsies of the nodules returned as metastatic poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (Figure 3). DISCUSSION: Small bowel metastasis represents less than 10% of malignant tumors of the small bowel. Small bowel metastasis from HNSCC is an unusually rare occurrence and to date, there is minimal literature on it’s occurrence. Clinical presentation is variable with acute or sub-acute intestinal obstruction, ileus, gastrointestinal hemorrhage or bowel perforation. Here, we present an unusual case of small bowel metastasis from HNSCC, which is unique given the initial radiologic findings suggestive of CD. Thus, clinicians must be cognizant of the metastatic potential of squamous cell cancer in order to prevent delayed diagnosis and avoid devastating consequences.