A TREATABLE CAUSE OF IRON-DEFICIENCY ANEM IA IN THE ELDERLY - MALIGNANT-LYMPHOMA OF THE SMALL-BOWEL

A 75-year-old female was admitted for iron-deficiency anemia, No abnor malities were found upon upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonosc opy, Opacification of the small bowel disclosed an ulcerated tumor in the distal ileum, which was removed surgically and found to be a low-g rade non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma, This case shows that iron defic iency anemia should lead to a thorough evaluation of the digestive tra ct, including small bowel opacification, even in elderly patients. Dem onstration by computed tomography of a mesenteric lymphadenopathy with a large rounded mass in the bowel lumen suggests a lymphoma rather th an a myoma, Surgery allows removal of the tumor and/or of biopsy speci mens, and histology confirms the diagnosis.