Chronic radiation enteritis complicating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

A case of radiation enteritis in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is described. The patient's complaints suggested recurrence of her lymphoma and radiographic studies were nondiagnostic of radiation-induced enteritis, delaying diagnosis and appropriate therapy. An inadvertent error in radiotherapy technic and fibrous adhesions resulting from the staging laparotomy contributed to the radiation injury. Radiation enteritis is a rare complication of irradiation of abdominal lymphoma, but it must be considered by physicians who encounter a similar situation.