ABSTRACT
COLORECTALCANCER Among underlying bowel cancers, adenocarcinoma of the colon is most likely to present as a bacteremia, an abscess, or gangrene. Although many infections have been associated with underlying cancer of the large bowel, Streptococcus bovis septicemia and Clostridium septicum gangrene are the most frequently reported. Infections may spread from the site of the primary neoplasm or metastasize to distant sites from nectrotic tumors during transient bacteremia [1]. These unusual infections may be the first presentation or the sole clue to bowel cancer and should prompt a precautionary colonoscopy. Some recently reported sites of abscesses include the abdominal wall [2,3], retroperitoneum [4] gluteus muscle [5], psoas muscle [6], spleen [7], liver [8], pleural space [9], and eye [10]. Translocation of intestinal bacteria to mesenteric lymph nodes
seems to be common in patients with cecal carcinoma, but it has no clinical significance unless other lesions are superimposed [II].
