Coexistence of Adenocarcinoma of the Jejunum and Nontropical Sprue

CASES IN WHICH adenocarcinoma of the jejunum coexisted with nontropical sprue recently have been reported from the Massachusetts General Hospital¹ and by Joske.² Interest in this apparently rare combination of disease entities has been accentuated by the speculation of Joske that the atrophic jejunitis of nontropical sprue may be precancerous. The following case is the first in which this combination was observed at the Mayo Clinic and is also, to our knowledge, the third to appear in the literature.

Report of a Case  A 68-year-old Caucasian man of professional employ was seen in February, 1960, with the problems of anemia and upper abdominal distress. He had been seen periodically since 1933 for general examinations and for minor ailments. From that time until 1949 he had reported no symptoms referable to the bowel, and the value for hemoglobin had ranged between 12.9 gm. and 13.5 gm. per 100