Linitis plastica in a 14-year-old boy: A rare form of gastric cancer encountered in southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Linitis plastica, a morphological variant of diffuse infiltrative adenocarcinoma of the stomach, is an extremely rare cancer in children. Its clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes are scarcely described in the literature. We report a case of gastric cancer, specifically linitis plastica, in a 14-year-old boy who presented with obstructive jaundice. Ultrasonography revealed free peritoneal fluid, circumferential gastric wall thickening, and grossly dilated intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary ducts. Intraoperatively, massive ascites, peritoneal carcinomatosis, and diffuse infiltration of the stomach were observed, rendering the cancer unresectable. Biopsies were subsequently taken. The patient died 2 months postoperatively.