A Case of Ischemic Stenosis of the Small Bowel Resected by Laparoscopy-Assisted Surgery

Abstract

We experienced a case of ischemic stricture of the small bowel, found during double balloon enteroscopy (DBE), and resected with laparoscopy-assisted surgery. A 78-year-old man was seen at our hospital, because of abdominal pain. Computed tomography (CT) showed a lesion with thickening of the intestinal wall in the lower abdomen. We observed the lesion and conducted a biopsy using DBE. Upon a diagnosis of ischemic enteritis, laparoscopy-assisted surgery was performed. The histological findings revealed no evidence of inflammatory bowel disease or malignancy, which was compatible with ischemic enteritis. Although, it is rare to conduct laparoscopy-assisted surgery for ischemic enteritis, it is safe and useful for diagnosis, and we suggest this approach as an alternative therapeutic option.