Adenocarcinoma arising in an ileostomy. Report of two cases and review of the literature.

Adenocarcinoma arising in an ileostomy is rare. Two cases are reported, one of a 58-year-old woman and the other of a 54-year-old man who had each undergone a colectomy for chronic ulcerative colitis. Seven other cases previously reported in the literature are reviewed. Though the exact pathogenesis is uncertain, several possibilities, particularly with regard to antecedent dysplasia and backwash ileitis, are discussed. Routine yearly follow-up and examination of the stoma by a physician or enterostomal therapist may lead to earlier detection of this rare complication.