Gallstone ileus with a giant stone and associated multiple stones.

Gallstone ileus is an uncommon cause of small bowel obstruction. Gallstone ileus accounts for only about 1-3 % of cases of mechanical obstructions of the small bowel. It usually occurs in the elderly with a female predominance and may result in high mortality rates. The diagnosis is difficult and early diagnosis reduces the mortality. Terminal ileum is the most common site of gallstone impaction. We report a case of gallstone ileus in an 81-year-old female patient who was admitted to our clinic for abdominal pain, vomiting and constipation. The ultrasonography of abdomen revealed a decrease in bowel motion, and dilated bowel segments. Intraoperatively, a giant gallstone and associated multiple stones were found in the ileum 80 cm from the ileocecal valve and extracted from a longitudinal enterotomy (Fig. 4, Ref. 24).