[Gallstone ileus. Incidence, clinical aspects, therapy].

Between 1974 and 1987 11 patients - 9 females and 2 males - have been treated operatively. Their mean age was 75.0 years. In only 5 cases cholecystolithiasis was known at the time of hospital admission. In 9 cases 1 gallstone, in 2 cases 2 resp. 6 stones were removed operatively. The stones were located in the ileum in 7, in the jejunum in 2 and in the sigmoid colon in 2 instances. Beside removal of the stones in two patients a simultaneous cholecystectomy, in two patients segmental resection of small intestine, in one patient a sigmoid resection and in one the resection of a Meckel diverticulum were performed. All patients survived and were followed-up after dismissal from the hospital for 10-114 months. Only 1 out of 9 patients, in whom the gallbladder was not removed, suffered 3 years postoperatively from choledocholithiasis. The other patients remained free of symptoms until now resp. their death.