Radiation therapy-induced subacute intestinal obstruction

Radiation therapy is an important treatment modality for malignancies of the cervix, uterus, prostate, bladder, testes, and rectum. The incidence of clinically significant radiation-related complications is about 5-20%. Radiation insult to gastrointestinal tract includes damage to the small bowel, colon, and rectum. Predisposing risk factors such as previous surgery, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, hyperbaric oxygen increases the severity of damage as well as the use of other chemotherapeutic agents increases the sensitivity to radiation. Radiation-induced injury can be acute or chronic depending on the mitotic activity of intestinal tissue. Radiation enteritis is usually managed conservatively at the start, but surgery is indicated when complications arise. Hereby, we report a case of subacute intestinal obstruction after 3 weeks of radiotherapy.