Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2011 May;5(2):445-51.
doi: 10.1159/000330842. Epub 2011 Aug 18.

Jejunal Diverticular Perforation due to Enterolith

Ronaldo Nonose  1 , Juliana Santos Valenciano, Jacintho Soares de Souza Lima, Enzo Fabrício Nascimento, Camila Morais Gonçalves Silva, Carlos Augusto Real Martinez
Affiliations
Case Reports

Jejunal Diverticular Perforation due to Enterolith

Ronaldo Nonose et al. Case Rep Gastroenterol. 2011 May.

Abstract

Jejunal diverticulosis is a rare entity with variable clinical and anatomical presentations. Although there is no consensus on the management of asymptomatic jejunal diverticular disease, some complications are potentially life-threatening and require early surgical treatment. Small bowel perforation secondary to jejunal diverticulitis by enteroliths is rare. The aim of this study was to report a case of small intestinal perforation caused by a large jejunal enterolith. An 86-year-old woman was admitted with signs of diffuse peritonitis. After initial fluid recovery the patient underwent emergency laparotomy. The surgery showed that she had small bowel diverticular disease, mainly localized in the proximal jejunum. The peritonitis was due to intestinal perforation caused by an enterolith 12 cm in length, localized inside one of these diverticula. The intestinal segment containing the perforated diverticulum with the enterolith was removed and an end-to-end anastomosis was done to reconstruct the intestinal transit. The patient recovered well and was discharged from hospital on the 5th postoperative day. There were no signs of abdominal pain 1 year after the surgical procedure. Although jejunal diverticular disease with its complications, such as formation of enteroliths, is difficult to suspect in patients with peritonitis, it should be considered as a possible source of abdominal infection in the elderly patient when more common diagnoses have been excluded.

Keywords: Diverticulitis; Diverticulum; Intestinal perforation; Intestines; Lithiasis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

<underline><b>Fig. 1.</b></underline>
Fig. 1.
Resected dilated loops of proximal jejunum with multiple diverticula and enterolith (arrow).
<underline><b>Fig. 2.</b></underline>
Fig. 2.
External view of the enterolith measuring 12 cm in length found inside the jejunal diverticulum.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Chugay P, Choi J, Dong XD. Jejunal diverticular disease complicated by enteroliths: Report of two different presentations. World J Gastrointest Surg. 2010;2:26–29. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hayee B, Khan HN, Al-Mishlab T, McPartlin JF. A case of enterolith small bowel obstruction and jejunal diverticulosis. World J Gastroenterol. 2003;9:883–884. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Yaqub S, Evensen BV, Kjellevold K. Massive rectal bleeding from acquired jejunal diverticula. World J Emerg Surg. 2011;6:17. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Butler JS, Collins CG, McEntee GP. Perforated jejunal diverticula: a case report. J Med Case Reports. 2010;4:172. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zager JS, Garbus JE, Shaw JP, Cohen MG, Garber SM. Jejunal diverticulosis: a rare entity with multiple presentations, a series of cases. Dig Surg. 2000;17:643–645. - PubMed

Publication types