Gallstone ileus: a rare type of intestinal obstruction in Ghana

Gallstone ileus is an uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction in Ghana. A patient with gallstone ileus that was diagnosed intra-operatively after being treated conservatively as adhesive small bowel obstruction for ten days is reported to highlight the importance of the clinical information in this condition. A 60-year-old Chinese male with recurrent intestinal obstruction who was initially being managed at a primary healthcare facility was subsequently referred to a tertiary hospital on account of computer tomography diagnosis of an intraluminal object obstructing the bowel. He had hypokalaemia that was corrected before surgery. Intra-operatively, a 4.5cm in diameter gallstone was removed from the terminal ileum. Gallstone ileus is rare in Ghana. A high index of suspicion is required to avoid a delay in diagnosis due to the low incidence of cholelithiasis in Ghana.

None declared.