Intestinal complications in children undergoing chemotherapy for mediastinal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Toxicities involving gastrointestinal tract are common in patients undergoing aggressive chemotherapy for cancer. However, it is uncommon to develop severe ulceration or perforation of the small intestine in absence of direct involvement of the bowel with the malignancy. The authors describe two children who developed severe gastrointestinal complications requiring surgical intervention following initial chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Both patients had no evidence of small bowel involvement by lymphoma on clinical staging.