Purpose: Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder is the fourth most common malignancy in men, and has metastatic potential, with the most common sites of metastasis being lymph nodes, bone, lungs, liver, and peritoneum. This is a rare case of metastatic urothelial carcinoma presenting with rectal obstruction. Methods: Case report and literature review. Results: We discuss here the case of a 59-year-old gentleman with a history of urothelial carcinoma of the kidney and bladder that was diagnosed 24 years ago and treated with BCG. Subsequently, he had involvement of both the ureters, and underwent resection as well as chemotherapy. The patient was referred to our institution for evaluation of new onset diarrhea. He had battled constipation for a few months, which responded to an aggressive bowel regimen. He had, however, noted that even after he stopped his bowel regimen, the diarrhea persisted and then started worsening. He reported having more than 10-20 liquid bowel movements daily, with some associated mild, crampy, lower abdominal pain. He also noted increased urgency, and decreased control over his bowel movements. Moreover, in the weeks preceding his appointment, the patient started wearing diapers, as he had developed almost continuous leakage of thin, yellowish, watery, stool. He was started on cholestyramine for symptomatic relief, and had an outpatient CT scan done showing gas and solid stool debris in ascending, transverse, and descending colon. The rectum and sigmoid colon were noted to have diffuse circumferential thickening, with extension into the anus. Subsequent colonoscopy demonstrated an area of annular constriction in the rectosigmoid, with biopsies consistent with metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Conclusion: It is unusual for metastatic urothelial cancer to present with rectal obstruction, and, to date, there are eight other case reports of patients with metastatic bladder cancer presenting with annular rectal constriction. Similar to our patient, the majority of these patients presented with symptoms of rectal obstruction, with symptoms varying from change in bowel habits with narrow caliber stools and rectal pain to constant, watery rectal discharge. Treatment options also varied, but the majority of patients eventually needed a colostomy. It is imperative that the clinician always approach gastrointestinal complaints with a broad perspective, and keep metastatic cancer on the differential.Figure 1
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