Acute small bowel obstruction due to ileal fecaloma in an elderly patient: A Case Report

Acute intestinal obstruction is a surgical emergency whose etiologies vary according to age and comorbidities. Small bowel fecaloma is an exceptional cause. We report the case of an 84-year-old patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus admitted for occlusive syndrome. Surgical exploration revealed an ileal fecaloma responsible for the obstruction. Management consisted of manual disimpaction without enterotomy, with favorable outcome. This case highlights the rarity of this etiology and raises the question of the appropriate timing for surgical intervention in case of failure of the Gastrografin protocol.