Congenital peritoneal encapsulation of the small intestine: A rare case report

Peritoneal Encapsulation (PE) is a scarce congenital malformation, characterized by a supplementary peritoneal membrane that covers all or a part of the small intestine.

PE was unexpectantly discovered in a young woman during laparotomy for bowel obstruction. There were no specific pre-operative indications of this malformation. The operation was uneventful.

PE is a very rare congenital anatomical anomaly that is difficultly identified pre-operatively. PE is mainly asymptomatic, but in some cases, like in the presented one, PE presents with small bowel obstruction. Surgeons should be aware of this malformation and suspect it when encountering a patient with small bowel obstruction without other etiological factors.

Knowledge of this peculiar congenital anomaly is pivotal, so that accurate diagnosis and appropriate management of it are direct and efficient.