Small-Bowel Obstruction Secondary to Endometriosis

P W Martimbeau, Martimbeau PW, Pierre W. Martimbeau, J H Pratt, Joseph H. Pratt, Pratt JH, Thomas A. Gaffey, T A Gaffey, Gaffey TA
Mayo Clinic proceedings · 1975 · vol. 50(5) , pp. 239–243 · doi:10.1016/s0025-6196(25)09661-2 · PMID:1127991 · W2411420363
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 43 in-corpus citations
View on OpenAlex View on PubMed View at publisher
⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08 ⓘ

This paper discusses the occurrence of small-bowel obstruction as a complication of endometriosis.

One-sentence paraphrase of the abstract; not a substitute for reading it. No clinical advice. How this works

Abstract

Though endometriosis is a frequent finding in females, it rarely causes obstruction of the small bowel. However, 11 patients with such obstruction were seen at the Mayo Clinic in the years 1950 through 1970. Their ages ranged from 27 years to 51. A portion of involved bowel had to be resected in every case, but most of the lesions were single. Generally the obstructions were subacute and did not produce surgical emergencies. But because the symptoms were neither specific nor acute, the diagnosis seldom was established prior to laparotomy and the majority of the resections were performed without bowel preparation. Nevertheless, morbidity was minor in most cases and there was no mortality. Small-bowel obstruction has not recurred. Endometriosis of the small bowel tends to be limited to the serosa and the muscular coats, not penetrating the mucosa; and obstruction is due to fibrosis and kinking of the bowel. The obstructed segment usually must be resected. If pelvic endometriosis is minimal, no further surgery is necessary. But if the pelvic lesions are extensive, or if multiple sites in the small and large intestines are involved, then more radical resection and bilateral oophorectomy are indicated.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Intestinal Neoplasms Intestinal Obstruction Intestine, Small Intestine, Small Intestine, Small Adult Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Humans Intestinal Neoplasms Intestinal Neoplasms Intestinal Neoplasms Intestinal Obstruction Intestinal Obstruction Middle Aged

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (5)

Cited by (43)

Source provenance

europepmc
last seen: 2026-07-27T06:15:28.040536+00:00
openalex
last seen: 2026-06-10T17:14:06.276822+00:00
pubmed
last seen: 2026-05-14T05:59:03.573854+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK