A rare case of ileo-ileal knotting with strangulated intestinal obstruction

Abstract

The ileo-ileal knot is an extremely rare surgical emergency that results in gangrene of the affected bowel segment. Only a few cases have been reported in the literature. Most of the time, it is an intraoperative diagnosis. Intestinal knot formation, specifically the ileo-ileal knot, is a comparatively uncommon aetiology of strangulated intestinal obstruction. Here we report a case of strangulated intestinal obstruction in a 45-year-old male patient secondary to ileo-ileal knotting. Emergency laparotomy, en-bloc ileal resection of 80 cm, and end-to-end ileo-ileal anastomosis were performed. On the 12th postoperative day, the patient was discharged after being treated for a superficial surgical site infection. The purpose of this case report is to remind physicians that ileo-ileal knotting should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient with intestinal obstruction, and that if the knot is strangulated, en-bloc resection is the primary intraoperative measure to consider in the management of these patients.