A clinical and pathological study of acute rectal injury by the radiation therapy of uterine cervix cancer

The clinical features, magnifying colonoscopic findings and pathological findings of acute radiation proctitis were investigated in 40 cases of uterine cervix cancer and the following results were obtained. 1)As a clinical simptom, diarrhea was observed in about half of all cases. 2)The value of serum total protein and number of leukocyte decreased until the dose of 30 Gy (3000 rads) and no remarkable change of them were observed afterwards. Hemoglobin value did not change throughout the whole clinical course. 3)Magnifying colonoscopic findings showed remarkable change with increase of the dose and especially irregularity of pit was observed in all cases. 4)In pathological findings, edema, degenerative change of epitherial cells and decreased number of goblet cells were observed from the beginning. In cases that received more than 50 Gy (5000 rads), fibrosis developed and the epithelium showed strong regeneration. Also Paneth cells were observed in 5 out of 40 cases. 5)Remarkable change was not observed before or after the radiation by barium enema. (author)