Ileo-ileal knot causing acute gangrenous small bowel obstruction: a case report

BackgroundIleo-ileal knotting is a very rare cause of small bowel obstruction, and only a few reports have been published. Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is one of the most common emergency surgical conditions that require urgent evaluation and treatment and is one of the leading causes of emergency surgical admission. There are many causes of SBO that are known in general surgical practice, and these causes are different in the developing and developed worlds.Clinical presentationIn this article, we present a case of acute gangrenous SBO secondary to ileo-ileal knotting in a 37-year-old Ethiopian female patient after she presented with severe abdominal cramp, vomiting, and abdominal distension of 4 hours duration. The patient was operated on intraoperatively; she had gangrenous small bowel obstruction caused by ileo-ileal knotting. Later, the patient was discharged and improved after 12 days of hospital stay.ConclusionIleo-ileal knotting should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute small-bowel obstruction. The diagnostic difficulty and the need for urgent treatment of this condition to yield optimal results are discussed.