Abstract
A 45-year-old woman with a history of constipation from the beginning of menopause in December 2012 presented to the Department of Internal Medicine of our hospital with vomiting and abdominal pain. Severe stenosis of the sigmoid colon was confirmed by abdominal computed tomography, and transanal ileus tube insertion was attempted. However, the procedure was too difficult and an emergency laparotomy was eventually performed. The ileum and the entire colon were significantly distended. A tumor forming a rigid adhesion with the rectum and uterus was observed in the sigmoid colon. Therefore, we performed sigmoidectomy and D2 lymphadenectomy. Postoperatively, this case was diagnosed as intestinal endometriosis by histopathological examination. Intestinal endometriosis accounts for approximately 10% of all cases of endometriosis, and frequently involves the sigmoid colon and rectum. However, the occurrence of obstruction of these regions is relatively rare. Here we report a rare case of intestinal endometriosis causing bowel obstruction at the level of the sigmoid colon.
