Esophageal cancer rarely metastasizes to the small intestine. We present a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus causing intestinal obstruction due to small intestinal metastasis, in which stricture of the cervical esophagus was treated by insertion of a stainless stent.
A 62-year-old man presented with difficulty in swallowing, and was found to have esophageal cancer type 3 in the intrathoracic upper third of the esophagus (Ut). Multiple pulmonary and mediastinal lymph node metastases were identified. We diagnosed the case as esophageal cancer in stage IVb and conducted chemotherapy. Four months later he was seen at the outpatient clinic because of repeated bouts of vomiting and was emergently admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. Because of his previous history of undergoing appendectomy, he was diagnosed as having intestinal obstruction due to adhesions and placed an ileus tube. Laparoscopic adhesiotomy disclosed a tumorous lesion in the small intestine, so that small bowel resection under laparotomy was performed and small bowel metastasis of esophageal cancer was diagnosed. Thereafter a stainless stent was inserted into the stricture of the cervical esophagus. This paper deals with the case with a review of the literature.