[Gallstone ileus: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Presentation of a clinical case]

Gallstone ileus represents 4% of the causes of bowel obstruction in general population, but it increases to 25% in patients above 65 years of age. Gallstone ileus does not present with unique symptoms, making diagnosis difficult. It has a high mortality (12 to 27%) due to associated comorbidities and diagnostic delay. The aim of this case report is to communicate the importance of prompt diagnosis and surgical management of gallstone ileus.

It is presented the clinical case of a 67-year-old female patient with a history of long-standing diabetes mellitus without medical control, without previous surgical history, who began suffering 2 days prior to admission to the emergency room with signs and symptoms of intestinal occlusion. She was given medical management without improvement and diagnostic delay of mechanical intestinal occlusion that was surgically intervened 7 days after the onset of clinical symptoms, finding gallstone ileus in the exploratory laparotomy, with satisfactory resolution of the pathology despite the diagnostic delay.

Gallstone ileus is a difficult clinical entity to diagnose and therefore requires a high index of suspicion. The aim of gallstone ileus treatment is to release the obstruction, which is done through enterolithotomy. It is the recommended technique for gallstone ileus management because of its lower morbidity and mortality, compared with the other techniques.