Distal ileal endometriosis as a cause of ileus: a case report

Endometriosis is a benign condition affecting females of reproductive age. Although intestinal endometriosis is common, it is rarely manifested as an acute bowel obstruction secondary to ileal endometriosis. Enteric endometriosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis when assessing females of reproductive age with acute small bowel obstruction.

A 41-year-old woman presented with symptoms and signs of an acute small bowel obstruction requiring emergency surgery. A small bowel resection was performed with end-to-end anastomosis. Histological examination demonstrated endometriosis with fibrosis and stricture of the ileal segment. This case is important to report as it highlights the diagnostic difficulty this particular condition pre sents to an emergency surgeon.

In the differential diagnosis, endometriosis should be taken into consideration when assessing females of reproductive age who present with abdominal pain and small bowel obstruction.