A rare case of primary lymphoma of the bowel in a 26 year old woman is reported and the complex problems of diagnosis and treatment are examined. The importance of establishing the primary or secondary nature of this tumour of the small bowel is emphasised. This is because primary intestinal tumours require the most radical treatment possible even in advanced stages of the disease in order to avoid complications and to identify the areas involved in the proliferative process. Finally the importance of continuing surgery with drug and radiation treatment in order to improve prognosis is emphasised.