2019 Volume 35 Issue 2 Pages 244-248
The patient was a 37-year-old woman with no history of pregnancy or laparotomy. She developed lower abdominal pain and nausea and was admitted to a local hospital with a diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis. However, she was found to have small bowel obstruction and an ovarian cyst on imaging studies and was referred to our department. A diagnosis of intestinal endometriosis was made on the basis of the results of transvaginal ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging. We performed laparoscopic bilateral ovarian endometriosis cystectomy and partial small bowel resection in collaboration with a gastrointestinal surgeon of our hospital. The patient had a favorable postoperative course and was discharged home on the 12th day after surgery.
Among the less common and rare sites of endometriosis is intestinal endometriosis. The initial symptoms, occurrence patterns, and treatment methods of intestinal endometriosis differ considerably according to the sites of origin in the large and small intestines. Intestinal endometriosis is a benign disease and is usually treated with drug therapy; however, surgery is needed if patients present with intractable gastrointestinal symptoms or are strongly suspected to have an intestinal obstruction. This condition is a good indication for laparoscopic surgery in terms of its minimal invasiveness and advantage in preserving fertility.
