Enterolith small-bowel obstruction caused by jejunal diverticulosis: Report of a case

Surg Today. 2006;36(11):1003-6. doi: 10.1007/s00595-006-3283-9.

Abstract

We report the successful surgical treatment of intestinal obstruction caused by enteroliths formed in jejunal diverticula. A 78-year-old man with bowel obstruction of unknown etiology was initially managed conservatively, but suffered recurrence of the obstruction. Thus, we performed a laparotomy, which revealed multiple diverticula in the jejunum, with one enterolith inside a diverticulum and one enterolith in the terminal ileum. There was no abnormal communication between the gallbladder and the intestinal tract, excluding the possibility of a gallstone ileus. The stone in the terminal ileum could not be broken manually, so we performed an enterotomy to remove the stones. Intestinal obstruction caused by enteroliths in small-bowel diverticula is a rare event, which is difficult to diagnose and manage. To our knowledge, only 35 such cases have ever been reported.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Calculi / complications*
  • Calculi / diagnosis
  • Calculi / surgery
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Diverticulum / complications*
  • Diverticulum / diagnosis
  • Diverticulum / surgery
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Obstruction / diagnosis
  • Intestinal Obstruction / etiology*
  • Intestinal Obstruction / surgery
  • Jejunal Diseases / complications*
  • Jejunal Diseases / diagnosis
  • Jejunal Diseases / surgery
  • Laparotomy
  • Male
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed