Appendicitis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Appendicitis, including details on symptoms, surgery, causes, treatment.

Gestational intestinal obstruction: a case report and review of literature.

Kalu E, Sherriff E, Alsibai MA, Haidar M

Assisted Conception Unit, St Helier Hospital, Carshalton, SM5 1AA, Surrey, UK, ekalu@doctors.org.uk.

Intestinal obstruction in pregnancy is rare and difficult to diagnose. Common causes of gestational intestinal obstruction include adhesions, volvulus, intussuscetion, carcinoma, hernia and appendicitis [3]. Abdomial pain is a comman feature, but the displacement of abdominal organs as pregnancy progresses results in atypical location of the pain and hence delay in diagnosis. We report a case of intestinal obstruction at 33 weeks gestation in a woman with previous appendicectomy. Clinical suspicion of the presence of obstruction is required for prompt diagnosis and aggressive intervention, to minimise the morbidity and mortality of this rare complication of pregnancy.

Published 22 March 2006 in Arch Gynecol Obstet, 274(1): 60-2.
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