Diagnosing and managing small bowel neuroendocrine tumors presenting as acute obstruction in an elderly patient: A case report and comprehensive management overview
Abstract
Introduction and importance Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the small bowel are rare but clinically significant due to their challenging diagnostic pathways and potential for insidious progression. Early identification is critical for effective management and improved prognosis in these cases. Clinical presentation Here, we present a case of a 75-year-old patient with no significant medical history who presented acutely with diffuse abdominal pain, vomiting, and signs of bowel obstruction. Diagnostic workup, including CT imaging, revealed a distal ileal neuroendocrine mass with mesenteric lymphadenopathy, necessitating urgent surgical intervention. Discussion This case underscores the diagnostic complexities and therapeutic challenges associated with small bowel NETs. Surgical resection with meticulous lymph node dissection remains the cornerstone of treatment, aimed at achieving complete tumor excision and optimal disease control. The role of imaging modalities and biochemical markers in guiding clinical decisions and postoperative management strategies is discussed considering the patient's clinical course. Conclusion Timely recognition and intervention are crucial in the management of small bowel NETs, given their potential for late presentation and nonspecific symptoms. Despite diagnostic and procedural challenges highlighted in this case, early surgical intervention and comprehensive follow-up are essential for achieving favorable outcomes and minimizing recurrence…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Improving the translation of search strategies using the Polyglot Search Translator: a randomized controlled trial
- Nutritional, Physical, Cognitive, and Combination Interventions and Frailty Reversal Among Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with COVID-19 severity in patients with haematological malignancies in Italy: a retrospective, multicentre, cohort study
- A randomized, controlled trial of oral propranolol in infantile hemangioma
- Clinical phenotypes of delirium during critical illness and severity of subsequent long-term cognitive impairment: a prospective cohort study
- Increased physical activity improves sleep and mood outcomes in inactive people with insomnia: a randomized controlled trial
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.