Intestinal obstruction caused by rectal stricture secondary to endometriosis: A case report

Abstract

Introduction: Endometriosis is a common condition among women of the reproductive age group which manifests through variable symptoms. Intestinal involvement in endometriosis is quite common and can resemble several diseases such as Crohn’s disease, appendicitis, tubo-ovarian abscess or malignant tumour. Intestinal obstruction due to endometriosis is rare and pre-operative diagnosis is difficult because the clinical features are non-specific and can be easily confused. In a case of a patient without a history of endometriosis, diagnosis is complicated. Case Summary: The case under review is a 28-year-old female who presented initially to the gynae emergency unit with recurrent pelvic pains and subsequently developed intestinal obstruction and had surgery; pelvic adhesiolysis, Hartman’s procedure with histopathological confirmation of endometriosis. Conclusion: Despite being rare, intestinal endometriosis can lead to a series of presentations of acute abdomen requiring intervention as highlighted above, hence the need for vigilance and heightened suspicion