Cholecystocolonic fistula with a giant colonic gallstone: the mainstay of treatment in an acute setting

Like a Rolling (Gall)Stone: Optimal Treatment of Gallstone Obstruction of the Sigmoid Colon

BACKGROUND

Sigmoid gallstone ileus is a rare complication of cholelithiasis, accounting for 1-4% of all cases of large-bowel obstruction. This is a highly morbid, and often fatal, condition due to its challenging diagnosis and late presentation.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report a case of a 90-year-old woman admitted to Emergency Department with abdominal pain and large-bowel obstruction due to a 6 cm gallstone lodged in a diverticulum of the proximal sigmoid colon as a consequence of a cholecysto-colonic fistula. Colonoscopy was deferred due to gallstone size carrying a high possibility of failure. The patient underwent urgent laparotomy with gallstone removal via colotomy. The cholecystocolonic fistula was left untreated. The post-operative course was uneventful; the patient was discharged on 6th post-operative day.

CONCLUSION

A multidisciplinary discussion between endoscopists and surgeons is often needed to choose the best therapeutic option, especially in high-risk patients.

Colonic gallstone ileus: a systematic literature review with a diagnostic-therapeutic algorithm

Rare complication of gallstone disease is gallstone ileus. The common location is the small intestine, followed by the stomach. The rarest location is colonic gallstone ileus (CGI). To summarize and define the most appropriate diagnostic methods and therapeutic options for CGI based on the paucity of published data. Literature searches of English-, German-, Spanish-, Italian-, Japanese-, Dutch- and Portuguese language articles included and Italian-language articles using PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Additional studies were identified from the references of retrieved studies. 113 cases of CGI were recorded with a male to female patient ratio of 1:2.9. The average patient age was 77.7 years (range 45-95 years). The usual location of stone impaction was the sigmoid colon (85.8%), followed by a descending colon (6.6%), transverse colon (4.7%), rectum (1.9%), and lastly, ascending colon (0.9%). Gallstones ranged from 2 to 10 cm. The duration of symptoms was variable (1 day to 2 months), with commonly reported abdominal distension, obstipation, and vomiting; 85.2% of patients had previous biliary symptoms. Diverticular disease was present in 81.8% of patients. During the last 23 years, CT scan was the most common imaging method (91.5%), confirming the ectopic gallstone in 86.7% of cases, pneumobilia in 65.3%, and cholecytocolonic fistula in 68%. The treatment option included laparotomy with cololithotomy and primary closure (24.7%), laparotomy and cololithotomy with diverting stoma (14.2%), colonic resection with anastomosis (7.9%), colonic resection with a colostomy (12.4%), laparoscopy with cololithotomy with primary closure (2.6%), laparoscopy with cololithotomy with a colostomy (0.9%), colostomy without gallstone extraction (5.3%), endoscopic mechanical lithotripsy (success rate 41.1%), extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (1.8%). The cholecystectomy rate was 46.7%; during the initial procedure 25%, and as a separate procedure, 21.7%; 53.3% of patients had no cholecystectomy. The survival rate was 87%. CGI is the rarest presentation of gallstone ileus, mainly in women over 70 years of age, with gallstones over 2 cm, and predominantly in the sigmoid colon. Abdominal CT is diagnostic. Nonoperative treatment, particularly in subacute presentations, should be the first-line treatment. Laparotomy with cololithotomy or colonic resection is a standard procedure with favorable outcomes. There are no robust data on whether primary or delayed cholecystectomy is mandatory as a part of CGI management.

Cholecystocolonic fistula: two different presentations of this rare complication of gallstones

Cholecystocolonic fistulas (CCF) are a rare but significant complication of biliary disease, frequently presenting as gallstone ileus. Although there is no one agreed-upon procedure, enterolithotomy appears to be the initial treatment of choice; with a subsequent cholecystectomy performed ~4–8 weeks later. Alternatively, a patient may undergo a single-stage procedure, at which time an enterolithotomy, cholecystectomy and fistula closure are performed. Herein, we describe two patients with chronic cholecystitis and subsequent development of CCF with differing presentations. We report the clinical, radiographic and intraoperative findings and discuss the surgical treatment options for each patient, respectively.

Cecal Perforation by a Large Gallstone: An Unusual Diagnosis

Cholecystocolic fistulas are uncommon, with rare cases of colonic obstruction described in the literature and even rarer cases of intestinal perforation due to gallstones.

We describe a case of a 73-year-old man who presented to our ED with complaints of diffuse abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, and fever for the past week. Abdomen CT showed signs of acute perforated appendicitis. An exploratory laparotomy was proposed which revealed cecal perforation caused by a 3 cm gallstone. A right colectomy was performed with primary anastomosis, without cholecystectomy or fistula repair. The postoperative period was complicated due to an anastomotic dehiscence on day 12 with the need for a re-laparotomy with an ileotransverse colostomy confection. The patient was in the ICU care for five days and was discharged on the 13th day after the second intervention. 

The clinical presentation of gallstone ileus is nonspecific and vague often leading to a delay in the diagnosis and treatment. CT scan has the best specificity and sensibility for the diagnosis but abdominal X-ray may show the pathognomonic Rigler´s triad. The surgical treatment consists of removing the gallstone with or without simultaneous cholecystectomy and fistula repair.

Reports of colonic perforation due to gallstones are very scarce, which makes this a very low suspicion diagnosis. The ideal surgical approach is not established. The morbidity of these cases can reach 50%.

Laparoscopic Management of Bouveret's Syndrome after Failed Endoscopic Approach

Bouveret's syndrome is a complication of cholelithiasis that presents with gastric outlet obstruction due to an impacted gallstone in the duodenum following cholecystoduodenal fistula. This is a rare presentation of biliary-enteric fistula; therefore, there are no standardized guidelines for the management of this disease. We present a case of a patient with Bouveret's syndrome managed with laparoscopic surgery after an unsuccessful attempt of endoscopic removal.