Ileal Tubulo-Villous Adenoma Causing Small Bowel Obstruction in a Virgin Abdomen

Small bowel obstructions (SBO) are a common surgical problem accounting for up half of all emergency laparotomies in the United States. SBO in the virgin abdomen (SBO-VA) presents surgeons with a unique predicament as historical teaching has mandated operative exploration in these situations due to their association with more sinister etiologies. More recent research has demonstrated that this may not be the case, with adhesive disease comprising the majority of SBO-VA. Small bowel neoplasms however comprise a considerable portion of SBO-VA. Small bowel tumors comprise around 0.5%-2% of all gastrointestinal tumors, with adenomas being the most common type of benign small bowel tumor. These lesions are most commonly encountered in the duodenum, typically involving the peri-ampullary region, Their incidence decreases with descent down the gastrointestinal tract, and are least commonly found in the ileum. Ileal adenomas have been increasingly described in the literature with the rise of advanced imaging and endoscopic capabilities. The vast majority of these lesions remain asymptomatic; however, they have been reported to undergo malignant transformation resulting in obstruction and intussusception. Small bowel obstruction due to ileal adenomas in the absence of malignancy is exceedingly rare, with only one previously reported case in the literature. We describe a case of an SBO-VA secondary to ileal stricture caused by a tubulo-villous adenoma. We then discuss the topics of SBO and SBO-VA, specifically regarding their etiology and historical and modern management, with a particular focus on the diagnosis and management of small bowel neoplasms, specifically small bowel adenomas.