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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

A Mouse Model of Intestinal Partial Obstruction
Published on: March 5, 2018
Intestinal obstruction due to rectal endometriosis
Melih Paksoy1, Ilhan Karabiçak, Fadil Ayan
1Department of General Surgery, Cerrahpasa Medical Facility, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Abstract:
We report a case of a premenopausal woman with severe constipation causing intermittent obstruction. Colonoscopy revealed a tight rectal stricture; however, mucosal biopsies were normal. Exploratory surgery revealed an intense fibrotic reaction involving the rectum and uterus, necessitating a simultaneous low anterior resection and hysterectomy. Pathology established a diagnosis of endometriosis. Preoperative diagnosis of rectal endometriosis can be difficult to establish. Endometrial deposits do not invade the mucosa; therefore, colonoscopy with biopsies are frequently non-diagnostic. Surgery may be the only definitive way to obtain a certain diagnosis. In cases involving rectal strictures of unknown etiology in premenopausal women, rectal endometriosis must be included in the differential diagnosis.
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