# Submucosal metastatic leiomyosarcoma of the colon presenting with intussusception and lower gastrointestinal bleeding: a case report

**Authors:** Honghai Li, Zunfang Yu, Minfeng Ye, Qijing Jin

PMC · DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2026.1748739 · 2026-02-03

## TL;DR

A rare case of aggressive colon cancer causing intestinal blockage and bleeding is reported, highlighting its unusual origin and presentation.

## Contribution

This is the first reported case of colonic intussusception caused by metastatic leiomyosarcoma.

## Key findings

- The tumor originated from the submucosal layer of the ascending colon and caused intussusception.
- Postoperative analysis showed no lymph node metastasis.
- The origin of the tumor—primary or metastatic—remains uncertain.

## Abstract

Colonic leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a highly aggressive tumor arising from smooth muscle cells and is generally associated with a poor prognosis. This report presents a case of colonic LMS originating from the submucosal layer of the ascending colon. A 76-year-old woman was admitted with intermittent hematochezia persisting for over a month. Imaging studies revealed a tumor in the ascending colon accompanied by intussusception. The patient underwent a right hemicolectomy with systematic lymphadenectomy involving the middle colic root and right branch regions. Postoperative histopathological analysis confirmed colonic LMS arising from the submucosa, with no evidence of lymph node metastasis. Colonic intussusception secondary to LMS is extremely rare, and, to our knowledge, no previous cases of colonic intussusception caused by metastatic sarcoma have been reported. It remains uncertain whether the tumor originated primarily in the colon or resulted from hematogenous metastasis to the colonic mucosa.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** leiomyosarcoma (MONDO:0005058), intussusception (MONDO:0007835)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** DES (desmin) [NCBI Gene 1674] {aka CDCD3, CSM1, CSM2, LGMD1D, LGMD1E, LGMD2R}, CMPK1 (cytidine/uridine monophosphate kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 51727] {aka CK, CMK, CMPK, UMK, UMP-CMPK, UMPK}, KIT (KIT proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase) [NCBI Gene 3815] {aka C-Kit, CD117, MASTC, PBT, SCFR}, S100A1 (S100 calcium binding protein A1) [NCBI Gene 6271] {aka S100, S100-alpha, S100A}, CD34 (CD34 molecule) [NCBI Gene 947], SMN1 (survival of motor neuron 1, telomeric) [NCBI Gene 6606] {aka BCD541, GEMIN1, SMA, SMA1, SMA2, SMA3}, ACTA1 (actin alpha 1, skeletal muscle) [NCBI Gene 58] {aka ACTA, ASMA, CFTD, CFTD1, CFTDM, CMYO2A}, ANO1 (anoctamin 1) [NCBI Gene 55107] {aka DOG1, INDMS, MYMY7, ORAOV2, TAOS2, TMEM16A}, CEACAM3 (CEA cell adhesion molecule 3) [NCBI Gene 1084] {aka CD66D, CEA, CGM1, CGM1a, W264, W282}
- **Diseases:** gastrointestinal bleeding (MESH:D006471), intra-abdominal hemorrhage (MESH:D000082122), bloating (MESH:C535647), necrosis (MESH:D009336), Intestinal stenosis (MESH:D007410), smooth muscle sarcoma (MESH:D018235), Meckel's diverticulum (MESH:D008467), intestinal obstruction (MESH:D007415), tenderness (MESH:D063806), palpitations (MESH:D006331), allergy (MESH:D004342), loss of appetite (MESH:D001068), constipation (MESH:D003248), leiomyomas (MESH:D007889), lymph node metastasis (MESH:D008207), weight loss (MESH:D015431), hemorrhagic shock (MESH:D012771), Soft- (MESH:C562950), cerebral infarction (MESH:D002544), Colonic intussusception (MESH:D007443), hypertension (MESH:D006973), CRC (MESH:D015179), melena (MESH:D008551), GIST (MESH:D046152), metastases (MESH:D009362), ascending colon adenocarcinoma (MESH:D003110), vomiting (MESH:D014839), cervical lymphadenopathy (MESH:D002575), sarcoma (MESH:D012509), fever (MESH:D005334), rebound (MESH:D009759), diarrhea (MESH:D003967), neoplastic lesion (MESH:D009062), nausea (MESH:D009325), bleeding (MESH:D006470), rectal bleeding (MESH:D012002), metastatic disease (MESH:D000092182), abdominal pain (MESH:D015746), adenocarcinomas (MESH:D000230), malignancies (MESH:D009369), HL (MESH:C538324), bowel obstruction (MESH:D012778), LMS (MESH:D007890)
- **Chemicals:** iodine (MESH:D007455)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Figures

3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12909157/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12909157