Gallstone Ileus

Excerpt

Gallstone ileus is a rare complication of cholelithiasis and is one of the rarest forms of all mechanical bowel obstructions. It is, however, a more common cause of non-strangulating mechanical small bowel obstruction, accounting for 1% to 4% in all patients and up to 25% in the elderly. The diagnosis is often delayed since symptoms may be intermittent and investigations may fail to identify the cause of the obstruction. As a result, gallstone ileus continues to be associated with relatively high rates of morbidity and mortality.

The condition is managed with surgery but the type of procedure selected depends on the presentation. Many of these patients have other comorbidities like cardiac and lung disease, which also need to be considered. In some cases, bowel resection may be required.