IMPORTANCE OF COLONOSCOPY IN THE EVALUATION OF IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA: A NON-ESOPHAGEAL MALIGNANCY IN A CASE OF PLUMMER-VINSON SYNDROME

Abstract

Plummer-Vinson syndrome (PVS), often referred to as sideropenic dysphagia, is a medical disorder characterized by the presence of a web-like obstruction in the upper esophagus or hypopharynx, leading to difficulty in swallowing for those with chronic iron deficiency anemia. Dysphagia is significantly influenced by the existence of a web in the cervical esophagus and the irregular movement of the pharynx or esophagus. This illness typically has a pre-cancerous nature in relation to squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. However, it is even more uncommon for PVS to be accompanied by transverse colon cancer, which is a rare occurrence. This is a case involving a 67-year-old female patient who has been diagnosed with Plummer-Vinson syndrome. She visited the outpatient department for a follow-up after undergoing bougie dilatation. The patient presented with symptoms of bowel obstruction. She received a diagnosis of colon cancer and subsequently underwent a hemi colectomy to treat the condition.