Gallstone ileus

Gallstone ileus is mechanical obstruction of the small, or more rarely, the large intestine caused by a large gallstone lodging in the intestinal lumen. Most commonly, the stone impacts at the caeco-ileal valve.

It is a common cause of non-strangulating mechanical small bowel obstruction, accounting for 1% to 4% of all patients and up to 25% of older adults. The diagnosis is often delayed since symptoms may be intermittent, and investigations may fail to identify the cause of the obstruction. As a result, gallstone ileus continues to be associated with relatively high rates of morbidity and mortality.

The condition occurs more frequently in women, and in elderly patients, often about 70 years in age.

Reference

1. Ploneda-Valencia CF et al. Gallstone ileus: An overview of the literature. Rev Gastroenterol Mex. 2017 Jul-Sep;82(3):248-254.