Small Bowel Obstruction Caused by Enteroliths Formed in the Duodenal Diverticulum

Background and Objective

Small bowel obstruction is a common acute abdomen. The disease presentation changes rapidly and differential diagnosis is difficult. If diagnosis and treatment are delayed or inappropriate, the consequences will be serious.

Methods

Here, we report here a rare case of small bowel obstruction caused by enteroliths formed in the duodenal diverticulum.

Results

Conservative treatment was not effective. Six days later, the patient underwent emergency exploratory laparotomy to confirm small bowel obstruction, and enterotomy for lithotomy was performed.

Conclusion

Obstruction of the small intestine due to passage of enteroliths from the duodenal diverticulum is rare. There is currently no definitive evidence delineating the optimal duration for non-surgical treatment. However, it should be noted that the postponement of surgical intervention may elevate mortality rates.