A case report concerning the importance of the patients’ symptoms and clinical findings in the management of patients

• Main Author: Bodil Ohlsson
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2010-01-01
• Series: Gastroenterology Insights
• Subjects: Gastroenterology
• Online Access: http://www.pagepress.org/journals/index.php/gi/article/view/1426
• ISSN: 2036-7414; 2036-7422

The gastrointestinal tract has always been difficult to visualize in its entire length. New technology such as magnetic resonance imaging enterography, computed tomography ente­ro­­graphy, single- and double-balloon entero­scopy, and video capsule enteroscopy have improved the possibilities for visualizing mucosal changes and pathology in the small intestine. We describe here a case of a patient with gastrointestinal signs and symptoms suggesting recurrent intestinal obstruction over a period of several years, who had mostly normal morphology on endoscopic examination. Nonetheless, after some delay, the patient underwent explorative surgery because of his accelerating symptoms. Abdominal exploration revealed a Meckel’s diverticulum, which had led to inflammatory adhesions of the small intestine with a sharp bend and proximal intestinal dilation. After the operation the patient’s health was restored. We concluded that in certain situations the clinician should rely on the patients’ symptoms and clinical findings more than on technological examinations and the clinical picture should guide clin­icians’ interventions, even though we live in a high-technique era.