Abstract
Periodic computed tomography in a 76-year-old man under treatment for chronic HCV incidentally revealed the existence of a foreign object in the intestine. Double-balloon enteroscopy showed two strictures in the small intestine located 50 cm on the oral side from the end of the ileum together with bowel fluid accumulation and some enteroliths. Surgery was performed, because endoscopic extraction was impossible. During surgery, we observed two strictures and cystic dilation due to the previous partial resection of the small intestine caused by ileus which had been performed about 60 years previously. In the area of stenosis, three enteroliths measuring 2-4 cm were observed. Calculus analysis revealed that the main component of the enteroliths was deoxycholic acid and calcium oxalate. Most of the reported cases with true enteroliths have been accompanied by stenosis, diverticula or blind loops which obstructed intestinal emptying. In this paper we discussed 62 case reports of true enteroliths in the Japanese literature, including our case.
