Acute Small Bowel Obstruction and Small Bowel Perforation as a Clinical Debut of Intestinal Endometriosis: A Report of Four Cases and Review of the Literature

Intern Med. 2016;55(18):2595-9. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.55.6461. Epub 2016 Sep 15.

Abstract

Endometriosis is a quite common pathology, however, intestinal endometriosis is a rare condition, which typically occurs with chronic symptoms. Its acute presentation is very infrequent. We herein report four cases of intestinal endometriosis, in which the clinical debut occurred acutely: two as an acute small bowel obstruction and two as a small bowel perforation. None of the cases had a preoperative diagnosis of endometriosis. The interest of these cases lies in this exceptional form of presentation, such as a surgical acute abdomen. Therefore, intestinal endometriosis should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of an acute obstructive or perforative process of the small or large bowel.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Abdomen, Acute / etiology
  • Acute Disease
  • Adult
  • Colectomy
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Endometriosis / complications*
  • Endometriosis / surgery
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Obstruction / diagnosis
  • Intestinal Obstruction / etiology*
  • Intestinal Obstruction / surgery
  • Intestinal Perforation / diagnosis
  • Intestinal Perforation / etiology*
  • Intestinal Perforation / surgery
  • Intestine, Small / pathology
  • Middle Aged