Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0021843 (bowel obstruction)
 9,927 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Gallstone ileus is an uncommon intestinal obstruction with unexpectedly high mortality. It is not easy to diagnose this uncommon disease preoperatively. The aim of our study is to establish some simple criteria supporting the suspicion of gallstone ileus in patients with small intestine obstruction. We retrospectively analysed hospital records of 8 patients with gallstone ileus and 1230 cases of mechanical intestinal obstruction, excluding incarcerated external hernias. Gallstones were the cause of occlusion in 0.9% (8/886) of patients with small bowel obstruction. All our 8 patients were women with an average age of 74 years. Gallstone ileus was diagnosed in 18% of elderly (+70 years) women with small intestine obstruction. This rate raised to 36% in this group of elderly women if previous abdominal operations that would produce adhesion were excluded. Previous ultrasonographic examinations had demonstrated gallstones in 5 (62%) patients. Only one patient (12.5%) was diagnosed preoperatively with plain X ray film demonstrating gas in the biliary tract. The obstruction was treated with enterolithotomy. Cholecystectomy was performed in two (25%) patients. The mortality was 25% in early postoperative period. Advanced age, female sex, and positive patient's history of known gallstone in the gallbladder have appeared as strong criteria. Gallstone ileus is a common cause of intestinal obstruction in elderly women with no previous abdominal operations and without incarcerated external hernia. Pneumobilia is more common radiological finding to establish the diagnosis of gallstone ileus in these patients.
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PMID:Gallstone ileus: demographic and clinical criteria supporting preoperative diagnosis. 1170 70

A 90-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain and vomiting. Initial investigations revealed diffuse abdominal tenderness and fever, combined with leucocytosis and marked elevation of C reactive protein levels. Abdominal CT demonstrated segmental bowel wall thickening in the jejunum near the tip of a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt, which had been placed 17 years before because of hydrocephalus. Pneumobilia was present but no ectopic gallstone was detected at the initial analysis and there were no signs of mechanical ileus. Immediate laparoscopy was performed to exclude small bowel ischaemia. Owing to purulent ascites the VP shunt was externalised, supposing VP shunt infection with reactive jejunitis to be the main problem. Antibiotic treatment was then administered and the remaining part of the shunt was removed 6 days later. However, clinical signs of intestinal obstruction have been aggravated. Therefore, a laparoscopy was repeated 3 days later and a gallstone ileus was diagnosed. After enterolithotomy through a minilaparotomy, the patient was fully recovered.
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PMID:Missed diagnosis of a gallstone ileus: an incomplete laparoscopy due to a putative ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection. 2356 74

Gallstone ileus is an unusual complication of cholelithiasis. Classically, a stone is impacted at the terminal ileum originating from a cholecystoduodenal fistula. Exceptions to this pathophysiology have been noted at each step. In this systematic review, we document a comprehensive review of postcholecystectomy gallstone ileus inclusive of 49 separate cases and report 8 different mechanisms leading to this unusual complication. The most common mechanism is a lost stone during cholecystectomy that then erodes through the intestinal wall leading to bowel obstruction. Our review showed an older, female predominance (64.0%) at an average age of 68.0 years, patients typically had a burden of comorbidities. Delay in diagnosis was common (64% of cases) with the correct diagnosis made in 37.5% of patients during admission. Pneumobilia was commonly reported (29.0%). There was a wide range in the amount of time between cholecystectomy and gallstone ileus, from 10 days to 50 years (mean 12.4 years). Postcholecystectomy gallstone ileus is an unusual complication of cholelithiasis, which mandates surgery. Retrieval of stones should be undertaken if they are spilled during cholecystectomy. Owing to the increasing age of the American patient population, it is likely that a higher number of patients with this condition will be encountered.
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PMID:Post-cholecystectomy Gallstone Ileus. 3268 79