Visible intestinal peristalsis and chronic diarrhea due to a rare lymphoproliferative disease

We present the case of a 45-year-old man with watery diarrhea for 2 years, leading to marked weight loss (52 kg). On admission, the patient presented with pallor, dehydration and cachexia. Abdominal examination revealed increased bowel sounds, painful and visible intestinal peristalsis, suggesting intestinal obstruction. There was no response to a gluten-free diet and nutritional support. Finally, the patient developed pulmonary infection, septic shock and died 3 months after admission. The diagnosis of CD4+/CD8+ indolent T-cell lymphoma of the GI tract was made post-mortem.