Adenocarcinoma of an ileostomy in a patient with ulcerative colitis.

A case is reported of adenocarcinoma of the ileum following surgical management of ulcerative colitis. In this patient it seems likely that the carcinoma arose in a pre-existing tubulovillous adenoma of rectal origin. This case report draws attention to the need to exclude any possibility of retention of large-intestinal mucosa in the ileostomy when transecting the ileum, either at primary colectomy or when dismantling an ileorectal anastomosis.