Gallstone intestinal obstruction.

The literature on the subject and the records of 40 cases of proven gallstone obstruction in the small intestine observed at the Los Angeles County General Hospital over a 27-year period were reviewed. The incidence of this type of obstruction is about 1.5 per cent of all cases of mechanical intestinal obstruction; and it occurs more often in women than in men-the ratio was 3.7 to 1 in the Los Angeles County General Hospital series. In general, the majority of patients are in the seventh decade of life, although in the present series the age average was well over 70 years. Gallstones large enough to cause intestinal obstruction almost invariably reach the intestinal tract through a fistula between the gallbladder and the duodenum. The symptoms of gallstone obstruction are principally those of mechanical obstruction of the small bowel. The usual site of obstruction is the distal ileum. When gallstones are the cause of obstruction, the symptoms may be intermittent. Surgical operation is the treatment of choice. Exploration should include a complete examination of the intestinal tract to make certain multiple stones are not overlooked, and the right upper quadrant should be palpated for the presence of an acutely inflamed gallbladder or more calculi.