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Case Reports
. 2023 Feb 7:11:2050313X231153756.
doi: 10.1177/2050313X231153756. eCollection 2023.

An unusual case of mechanical bowel obstruction due to cholecysto-intestinal fistula and impacted gallstone: A case report and literature review

Ioannis G Gkionis  1 , Theofanis G Kokkinakis  1 , Andreas F Strehle  1 , Mathaios E Flamourakis  2 , Michail I Giakoumakis  1 , Marios A Mannaris  1 , Eleni I Kaloeidi  1 , Eirini S Apostolaki  3 , Manousos S Christodoulakis  2 , Aggelos Laliotis  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

An unusual case of mechanical bowel obstruction due to cholecysto-intestinal fistula and impacted gallstone: A case report and literature review

Ioannis G Gkionis et al. SAGE Open Med Case Rep. .

Abstract

Gallstone ileus is a rare entity and constitutes an uncommon complication of gallstone disease. It is caused by the impaction of a gallstone in the gastrointestinal tract and may cause serious symptoms or even life-threatening complications. It should be part of the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen especially in patients presenting with signs and symptoms of bowel obstruction and known gallstone disease. An early diagnosis is essential, and surgical treatment is the gold standard in order to relieve the obstruction. We present the case of an 84-year-old male patient with gallstone ileus due to cholecysto-intestinal fistula and impacted gallstone at jejunum. He was treated via urgent enterolithotomy, and his post-operative period was uneventful. This report aims to further educate clinical doctors on this rare medical condition which may pose a potentially serious health risk.

Keywords: Intestinal obstruction; gallstones; intestinal fistula; signs and symptoms; surgical procedures.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
CT scan of the abdomen depicting a 2.8-cm diameter gallstone in the jejunum causing mechanical bowel obstruction. The arrow demonstrates the gallstone.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
CT scan of the abdomen showing abnormal communication between gallbladder and GIT. The arrow demonstrates the cholecystoduodenal fistula.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Extraction of the gallstone through an incision on the antimesenteric edge of the bowel.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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