A rare case of linitis plastica of the colon from ovarian carcinoma.

Abstract

Linitis plastica refers to the diffuse submucosal spread of scirrhous carcinoma in a hollow organ, resulting in constriction and inelasticity of the organ. It is best known to occur in the stomach. Linitis plastica of the colon is rare, and more commonly occurs in the rectum and sigmoid colon from metastatic gastric or breast cancer. We report a case of linitis plastica of the ascending colon in a 69-year-old female as the initial presentation of ovarian carcinoma. Luminal narrowing, poor distension, and rigidity at colonoscopy, in the absence of other causes, should alert the clinician to the potential for an underlying submucosal process, and prompt biopsy techniques that enable submucosal tissue sampling.