IDIOPATHIC ABDOMINAL COCOON - A RARE CAUSE OF SMALL BOWEL OBSTRUCTION

Abstract

The idiopathic form of sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis, also known as abdominal cocoon, is a rare entity of unknown cause that leads to intestinal obstruction due to complete or partial encapsulation of the small intestine by a fibrocollagenous membrane. As the initial clinical features are non-specific, they often remain unrecognized making it difficult to make a definite pre-operative diagnosis. Recurrent episodes of small intestinal obstruction along with relevant imaging findings and lack of other causative mechanisms, gives rise to a clinical suspicion. We report a young lady who presented to us with features suggestive of acute intestinal obstruction. Thorough enquiry revealed similar episodes on multiple occasions in the past which was temporarily relieved with conservative management. The need to keep an open mind regarding the uncommon causes of commonly encountered problems is the point of interest in our case.