OBJETIVO: analisar os aspectos clinicos e patológicos de pacientes operados de cancer colorretal diagnosticados durante operações abdominais de urgencia. MÉTODOS: foram estudados os prontuários de 107 pacientes operados entre 2006 e 2010. Resultados: Foram incluidos 58 mulheres e 49 homens com idade media de 59,8 anos. Os sintomas mais frequentes foram: dor abdominal (97,2%), parade de eliminação de gases e fezes (81,3%), vomitos (76,6%) e anorexia (40,2%). Os pacientes foram divididos em cinco grupos: abdomen agudo obstrutivo (68), abdomen agudo perfurativo (21), abdomen agudo inflamatorio (13), sepsis abdominal (3) e hemorragia digestive baixa (2). Os tumores localizavam-se no rectossigmoide (51,4%), colon transverso (19,6%), colon ascendente (12,1%), colon descendente (11,2%) e 5,6% dos pacientes apresentavam tumors sincronicos. O tratamento cirurgico foi: colectomia com colostomy (85%), colectomia com anastomose primaria (10,3%) e colostomia sem ressecçao do tumor (4,7%). Mortalidade immediate ocorreu em 33,4% dos pacientes. Analise bivariate de sexo, localização do tumor e estadio não foi relacionada a mortalidade (P>0,05%). CONCLUSÕES: o cancer colorretal pode ser a causa de obstrução colonica ou perfuração in pacientes com queixas inespecificas. A despeito da alta taxa de mortalidade, a ressecção do tumor pode ser realizada na maioria dos pacientes.
OBJECTIVE: to report clinical and pathological features of patients with colorectal cancer diagnosed during emergency abdominal surgery. METHODS: records of 107 patients operated between 2006 and 2010 were reviewed. RESULTS: there were 58 women and 49 men with mean age of 59.8 years. The most frequent symptoms were: abdominal pain (97.2%), no bowel movements (81.3%), vomiting (76.6%), and anorexia (40.2%). Patients were divided into five groups: obstructive acute abdomen (n = 68), obstructive acute perforation (n = 21), obstructive acute inflammation (n = 13), abdominal sepsis (n = 3), and severe gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 2). Tumors were located in the rectosigmoid (51.4%), transverse colon (19.6%), ascendent colon (12.1%), descendent colon (11.2%), and 5.6% of the cases presented association of two colon tumors (synchronic tumors). The surgical treatment was: tumor resection with colostomy (85%), tumor resection with primary anastomosis (10.3%), and colostomy without tumor resection (4.7%). Immediate mortality occurred in 33.4% of the patients. Bivariate analysis of sex, tumor location and stage showed no relation to death (p > 0.05%). CONCLUSIONS: colorectal cancer may be the cause of colon obstruction or perfuration in patients with nonspecific colonic complaints. Despite the high mortality rate, resection of tumor is feasible in most patients.