[Idiopathic ulcer of the small intestine]

The authors report on a female patient, 32 years old, suffering for eight years from recurrent and progressive abdominal pain, combined with chronic anemia, due to iron deficiency. Neither anamnesis and clinical course, nor technical examinations elucidated the etiology. Finally an explorative laparotomy with segmental resection of the small intestine led to diagnosis and healing of the rare "idiopathic small bowel ulcer". Possible differential diagnoses were lacking. This case report demonstrates the need of an invasive and aggressive diagnostic approach after excluding all common causes of disease, related to the symptoms, in order to prevent patients from suffering for years.