[Malignant bowel obstruction].

Malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) is a frequent complication in patients with a progressive malignant disorder and represents a major interdisciplinary challenge in palliative care. Gastroenterology plays a pivotal role in the management of MBO. After appropriate diagnostic work-up, it is important to define treatment goals with the patient and his/her relatives, which should focus on symptom relief. Therapeutically, surgical, endoscopic and medical options are available. These will be introduced based on case reports. In the international literature MBO is being more and more considered as a distinct entity. The aim of the present review is to communicate MBO as such in the German medical literature.