Intestinal obstruction caused by rectal stricture secondary to endometriosis: A case report

Abstract

Introduction: Endometriosis is a common condition among women of the reproductive age group which manifests through variable  symptoms. Intestinal involvement in endometriosis is quite common and can resemble several diseases such as Crohn’s disease,  appendicitis, tubo-ovarian abscess or malignant tumour. Intestinal obstruction due to endometriosis is rare and pre-operative diagnosis  is difficult because the clinical features are non-specific and can be easily confused. In a case of a patient without a history of  endometriosis, diagnosis is complicated.

Case Summary: The case under review is a 28-year-old female who presented initially to the  gynae emergency unit with recurrent pelvic pains and subsequently developed intestinal obstruction and had surgery; pelvic adhesiolysis, Hartman’s procedure with histopathological confirmation of endometriosis.

Conclusion: Despite being rare, intestinal  endometriosis can lead to a series of presentations of acute abdomen requiring intervention as highlighted above, hence the need for  vigilance and heightened suspicion