An unusual case of Bouveret's syndrome

A 69-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a 12-hour history of severe abdominal pain. His medical history was significant for a small-bowel obstruction that resolved with conservative therapy 4 months prior to admission. In the distant past, a Billroth II gastric resection was performed for ulcer disease. He was hypothermic, and laboratory studies showed elevated serum liver and pancreatic enzymes. A CT scan of the abdomen demonstrated fat stranding and a small amount of free air in the area of the pancreas. Gram-negative rods subsequently grew from blood cultures. A presumptive diagnosis of necrotising pancreatitis was made, and supportive care was instituted. Follow-up CT scan performed several days later demonstrated a large filling defect in the stomach. Endoscopy showed this defect to be a giant gallstone, and the diagnosis of Bouveret's syndrome was made. The patient underwent laparotomy. A duodenal perforation in the posterior aspect of the fourth portion was identified. The perforation had been caused by chronic impaction of the giant stone. The stone was removed through the perforation, and the perforation was closed in multiple layers. Drainage of the retroperitoneum was effected through large catheters placed through the flank. The presentation, diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and complications of this condition are discussed.