Slowly evolving widespread diffuse alimentary tract carcinoma (linitis plastica).

Linitis plastica, as a diffuse sclerosing carcinoma, is a slowly progressive, malignant disease (Ewing, 1940). The usual primitive site is the stomach, as the term 'linitis' indicates, but varying degrees of spread along the alimentary tract are encountered (Anderson, 1966). Invasion of the small and large intestine is rare and can lead to confusion with chronic colitis, nonspecific enteritis, and especially with Crohn's disease. About 11 cases of intestinal involvement have been reported (Dixon and Stevens, 1936; Lumb, 1949; Wolf and Marshak, 1963; Fernet, Azar, and Stout, 1965). Histologically the disease is characterized by a striking increase in connective tissue with scanty malignant epithelial cells. Clinically the onset is insidious and the course of the illness slow; the average duration of symptoms before death is one to two years (Bockus, 1963). The present report is of a case with widespread invasion of the whole alimentary tract from stomach to rectum evolving unusually slowly.