Repetitive Colonoscopic Decompression as a Bridge Therapy before Surgery in a Pregnant Patient with Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction

Clin Endosc. 2013 Sep;46(5):591-4. doi: 10.5946/ce.2013.46.5.591. Epub 2013 Sep 30.

Abstract

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction is a rare clinical syndrome which is characterized by intestinal obstruction without occluding lesions in the intestinal lumen and pregnancy is one of the important aggravating factors. Here, we report a case of a woman with intractable intestinal pseudo-obstruction that was precipitated by pregnancy. She could not make any stool passage for more than 4 weeks until a fetal gestational age of 17 weeks was reached. However, the patient could be maintained by repetitive colonoscopic decompressions and finally total colectomy could be performed successfully at a fetal gestational age of 21 weeks.

Keywords: Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction; Colonoscopic decompression; Interstitial cells of Cajal; Pregnancy.