Gallstone Ileus - A Rare Cause of Acute Small Bowel Obstruction in an Elderly Female, a Clinical Case Report

Gallstone ileus is a rare condition occurring in around 0.3 to 0.5 % of patients with cholecystitis. It contributes to less than 1% causes for intestinal obstruction. It occurs in a long-standing case of cholelithiasis due to the formation of a bilio-enteric fistula. It is usually impacted in the terminal ileum, where it produces acute intestinal obstruction, characterised by Rigler’s triad. In certain special situations, gallstone may get impacted in duodenum to give rise to the Bouveret Syndrome. Treatment entails mainly emergency treatment for relieving small bowel obstruction. While the definitive management of bilio-enteric fistula is undertaken at a later date once the general conditions of the patient have been improved and appropriate imaging studies are done to localise the site of bilio-enteric fistula.