Clinical presentation
A 55 year old woman with no significant past medical history presented with abdominal pain and vomiting. She was totally asymptomatic before this episode. Twenty four hours prior to admission she reported a crampy upper abdominal pain radiating to the whole abdomen that was rapidly followed by vomiting. She also noted a sudden constipation and failure to pass flatus.
Clinical evaluation revealed abdominal distension with high pitched and tinkling bowel sounds. Laboratory data were normal, apart from a C reactive protein concentration of 13.2 mg/dl.
Bowel obstruction was suspected and an abdominal and pelvic computed tomography scan was performed (fig 1).
Question
What does the scan show?
See page 190 for answer
This case is submitted by:
Figure 1 Computed tomography scan showing stenosis of the terminal ileal loop (ii) with a foreign body stuck in the stenosis (i).