Multidetector row helical computed tomography enteroclysis findings in ileal endometriosis

Ileal endometriosis is a rare condition, which, most of the time, is found incidentally in women who have had abdominal or pelvic surgery. In general, ileal endometriosis is asymptomatic and is responsible for small bowel obstruction in only 0.5% of the cases. In addition, in most published cases, the diagnosis was established postoperatively. We report herein two cases of ileal endometriosis, which were responsible for small bowel occlusion. The diagnosis was considered preoperatively owing to the presence of a constellation of findings, including those obtained on multidetector row helical CT enteroclysis images. Multidetector row helical CT enteroclysis demonstrated dilated small bowel up to a stenosis due to circumferential parietal thickening in the distal ileum in one case and an ileal parietal solid nodule in the other one. Although multidetector row helical CT enteroclysis does not show specific findings, it may help to suggest the diagnosis of ileal endometriosis in the proper clinical setting.