Sub-Mucosal Lipoma a Rare Cause of Colonic Obstruction Managed Surgically: Case Series and Literature Review

Abstract

Sub-mucosal lipomas of the colon, as first described by Bauer in 1757 are fatty tumors, rarely greater than 2 cm in size and hence rarely symptomatic. The vast majority of these tumors are subjected to be found incidentally during a colonoscopy, Computed Tomography (CT) scan, surgery, or autopsy and are most often located in the ascending colon near the cecum. Referred to second most common benign tumour of the colon, sub-mucosal colonic lipomas are often difficult to diagnose because of their asymptomatic nature or the intermittent, non-specific nature of patients’ symptoms. In this domain, development of symptoms manifesting as abdominal pain, hemorrhage, diarrhea, or constipation are most commonly encountered with lipomas of size greater than 2 cm. Furthermore, obstruction secondary to colonic intra-luminal narrowing or intussusception is mostly reserved for larger lipomas, most commonly those growing more than 4 cm in size and hence requiring surgical or endoscopic resection. However, as such lesions are more often being exposed nowadays owing to the enhanced utilization of colonoscopy and CT and the fact that complications can prevail, both rises the need of settling well established guidelines advising the management of such polyps, on the road of preventing consequent complications. In this article and in trial of us addressing this rare entity, shedding the light on its importance and further elaborating on its significant consideration in working up bowel obstructive pathologies, we present a literature review of colonic sub-mucosal lipomas, along with our experience in obstructive colonic lipomas, in a retrospective case series constituted of 4 characteristically and demographically studied patients, along with the management after being admitted to our tertiary care center for obstructive symptoms.