Faecolith-induced small bowel obstruction: A rare acute surgical emergency - A case series
Abstract
Introduction Intestinal obstruction is a common surgical emergency; however, faecolith-induced obstruction is exceptionally rare, especially in the small intestine. This case series highlights an uncommon etiology of small bowel obstruction(SBO), with an emphasis on diagnostic challenges, surgical management, and patient outcomes. Presentation of cases We report three cases of SBO due to faecolith impaction: two geriatric and one pediatric patient. All presented with symptoms of abdominal distention, colicky pain, and failure to pass stool. Imaging, particularly contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of abdomen and pelvis revealed dilated small bowel loops with transition point and intraluminal hyperdense masses suggestive of faecolith-induced SBO, including one case of secondary small bowel obstruction due to a caecal faecolith. Emergency Surgical interventions included enterotomy in two cases and cecotomy in one, with one patient requiring a loop ileostomy due to bowel edema. All patients recovered uneventfully and were discharged between postoperative day (POD) 5 to 8. Discussion Faecolith-induced SBO is an uncommon but important differential diagnosis, particularly in patients with no prior history of abdominal surgery. In such case early imaging with CECT is crucial for diagnosis. Timely and appropriate surgical intervention results in excellent outcomes and helps prevent complications such as ischemia or perforation. Conclusion Clinicians should maintain a high…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case series, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- In silico toxicology protocols
- QM7-X, a comprehensive dataset of quantum-mechanical properties spanning the chemical space of small organic molecules
- Quantum Informed Machine-Learning Potentials for Molecular Dynamics Simulations of CO2's Chemisorption and Diffusion in Mg-MOF-74
- In-silico strategies in nano-drug design: Bridging nanomaterials and pharmacological applications
- mRNA codon optimization with quantum computers
- The computational power of the human brain
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.