[Biliary ileus--a rare complication of cholecystolithiasis]

The diagnosis of ileus caused by biliary stones occurs very rarely, with the range of 2 % worldwide. This complication of cholecystolithiasis caused by the stone fistulation into gastrointestinal tract and its subsequent obstruction occurs mostly in elderly and has a high mortality rate. During the course of ten years (1996-2006) in the 2nd surgical clinic FNLP in Kosice, 1640 cholecystectomies and 255 operations, due to the obstruction ileus, were performed. Biliary ileus was recorded in four cases. In two cases, the reason being an obstruction caused by a travelled stone into jejunum, one event was caused by a mechanic wedge of a stone in duodenum and in the last event rectosigma was obturated. The diagnostic is relatively difficult because of a nonspecific symptomatology and often negative anamnesis of previous problems with gallstones. According to literature, the most reliable diagnostic method is computer tomography (CT). In our case, abdominal ultrasonography was successful, which pointed out this diagnosis. Gastroscopy localized the place of obstruction, but not its cause and X-ray image showed aerobilia two times. By the use of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) the diagnosis was not positively confirmed. Only in one out of four cases, there was a suspicion of the diagnosis of the biliary ileus, which makes its detectability 25%. The aim of this retrospective analysis is the comparison of diagnostic method-options and their range of success in the diagnosis of acute abdomen in our clinic and the entries in the world literature.