Management of Amyloidosis Presenting as Intestinal Obstruction

Abstract

A 55-year-old woman presented with symptoms and signs of intestinal obstruction. At exploratory laparotomy, neither an extra- nor an intraluminal obstructing lesion was found. However, there was a thickened midileal small-bowel segment with an abnormal mesentery and a significant proximal dilatation. Wide resection of the involved segment was performed. Histology of the resected specimen yielded the diagnosis of amyloidosis. The management of functional obstruction (pseudo-obstruction) of the small intestine caused by amyloidosis is discussed and the literature on this subject is reviewed.