Gallstone Ileus: An Improbable Cause of Mechanical Small Bowel Obstruction

Gallstone ileus (GI) is a rare complication of cholelithiasis and a rare cause of small bowel obstruction. It usually affects elderly women and the symptoms are nonspecific, both contributing to a delay in diagnosis and a high mortality rate. It is necessary to have a high suspicion index for diagno...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2020-11, Vol.12 (11), p.e11460
Main Authors: Lourenço, Sara, Pereira, Ana Marta, Reis, Jose, Guimarães, Marta, Nora, Mário
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
General Surgery
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Summary:Gallstone ileus (GI) is a rare complication of cholelithiasis and a rare cause of small bowel obstruction. It usually affects elderly women and the symptoms are nonspecific, both contributing to a delay in diagnosis and a high mortality rate. It is necessary to have a high suspicion index for diagnosis and abdominal CT is the gold standard imaging for the diagnosis. We present a case report of an 87-year-old man who presented to the ED with abdominal pain and vomiting for the last 20 days. A GI was diagnosed and he underwent enterolithotomy to remove the stone. Unfortunately, the patient died on the 13th postoperative day with multiorgan failure. The treatment and the time at which it is performed must be adapted to each patient.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.11460