Intestinal obstruction by Meckel's diverticulum in stricturing Crohn's disease: coincidence?

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Case Reports

Background:

• Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
• Stricturing CD of the distal ileum can necessitate repeated endoscopic dilations.
• Previous biologic therapies (infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab) were ineffective in this patient.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a rare case of incomplete ileal obstruction in a patient with long-standing Crohn's disease.
• To highlight the diagnostic challenges and management of an intraluminal foreign body in the ileum.

Main Methods:

• Case report of a 56-year-old male with symptomatic ileal obstruction.
• Diagnostic workup included abdominal radiography and CT scan.
• Clinical presentation and imaging findings were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Patient presented with abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
• Imaging revealed dilated small bowel loops and suggested an incomplete ileal obstruction.
• CT scan identified an intraluminal foreign body as the cause.

Conclusions:

• An intraluminal foreign body can cause incomplete ileal obstruction in Crohn's disease patients.
• Advanced imaging is crucial for diagnosing such rare complications.
• Management strategies should consider the underlying Crohn's disease and the foreign body etiology.