Intestinal pseudo-obstruction may be a paraneoplastic syndrome.
Usual association: small cell undifferentiated ("oat cell") carcinoma of the lung
Clinical features:
(1) signs and symptoms suggesting gastrointestinal obstruction without an obstructing lesion
(2) disordered intestinal motility
(3) variable delay in gastric emptying
Pathologic findings:
(1) autoantibodies directed against neurons in the enteric plexuses (anti-neuronal nuclear antibody or ANNA-1).
(2) chronic inflammatory cell infiltrates affecting the myenteric plexuses and/or dorsal root ganglia
Differential diagnosis:
(1) occult lesion causing obstruction
(2) other causes of pseudo-obstruction
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Specialty: Hematology Oncology, Surgery, general
