Bowel obstruction due to endometriosis

Abstract

Endometriosis is the ectopic proliferation of endometrial glands and stroma outside of the uterus. It normally occurs within the pelvis of women of childbearing age. The most frequent extragenital organ involved is the intestine, and usually patients with intestinal endometriosis are asymptomatic. However, some may present with abdominal pain, rectal bleeding or constipation. A small percentage of patients with intestinal endometriosis may even present with acute abdominal pain that requires immediate surgical treatment. Intestinal occlusion secondary to endometriosis is a rare entity and establishing a preoperative diagnosis is complicated due to the vague, non-specific symptoms. We present the case of a 38-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with an intestinal occlusion. She was taken to the operating room where a cecal mass was documented (ascending colon). A segmental resection was performed (right colectomy and ileotransverse anastomosis). The biopsy of the specimen reported findings that correlate with foci of endometriosis.