Endo the line: stricturing terminal ileum endometriosis

Abstract

Endometriosis is the implantation and proliferation of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, and while involvement of the small bowel is rare, it is particularly unusual for it to present with terminal ileum stricture mimicking Crohn’s ileitis. We present the case of a 38-year-old female with recurrent mechanical small bowel obstruction with transition point in the terminal ileum. She was struggling with infertility issues and was not previously known to have endometriosis. The presumptive diagnosis was Crohn’s disease due history of previous anal fissure, high faecal calprotectin level, and imaging findings of terminal ileitis with stricture, despite lacking tissue confirmation from colonoscopy. She underwent laparoscopic ileocolic resection with histology showing endometrial stricture and secondary mucosal inflammation, without any established features of Crohn’s disease. This case demonstrates the potential diversity in presentation of endometriosis, including small bowel manifestations that can mimic Crohn’s ileitis. If endometrioma can be confidently diagnosed based on characteristic imaging features or tissue sample, unnecessary treatment may be avoided, whilst appropriate specialist management improves endometriosis symptoms and fertility outcomes.