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Inguinal canal as an anatomic sanctuary site of relapse in peritoneal carcinomatosis previously treated with intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Liberale G, Elias D, Sideris L, Lasser P, Malka D, Sabourin JC, Pocard M

Department of Surgical Oncology, Gustave Roussy Institute, Villejuif, France.

Early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (EPIC) and intraoperative peritoneal hypertermic chemotherapy (IPHC) are used in addition with cytoreductive surgery to treat with curative intent peritoneal carcinomatosis arising from colorectal adenocarcinomas. Three patients with such a disease were treated with perioperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy in addition to cytoreductive surgery and presented isolated local recurrence located in the inguinal canal (round ligament in two and spermatic cord in one). All these patients were treated by local surgical excision. No patient showed evidence of intra-abdominal recurrence at the last follow-up, but one developed pulmonary metastasis. When communicating with the peritoneal cavity, the inguinal canal may act as a sanctuary site for peritoneal carcinomatosis, since it is not totally soaked by the intraperitoneal chemotherapy solution. A local recurrence is thus possible. New clinical presentations such as this one have first to be described in order to improve patient follow-up.

Published 11 July 2005 in J Surg Oncol, 91(1): 73-6.
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