Case Report
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World J Clin Cases. Nov 16, 2014; 2(11): 728-731
Published online Nov 16, 2014. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v2.i11.728
Rare etiology of mechanical intestinal obstruction: Abdominal cocoon syndrome
Yener Uzunoglu, Fatih Altintoprak, Omer Yalkin, Yasemin Gunduz, Guner Cakmak, Orhan V Ozkan, Fehmi Celebi
Yener Uzunoglu, Omer Yalkin, Guner Cakmak, Department of General Surgery, Sakarya University Research and Educational Hospital, 54100 Sakarya, Turkey
Fatih Altintoprak, Orhan V Ozkan, Fehmi Celebi, Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya University, 54100 Sakarya, Turkey
Yasemin Gunduz, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya University, 54100 Sakarya, Turkey
Author contributions: Uzunoglu Y and Altintoprak F contributed to study design; Uzunoglu Y, Yalkin O and Gunduz Y contributed to data collection; Celebi F, Cakmak G and Altintoprak F contributed to data analysis; Uzunoglu Y and Ozkan OV contributed to writing.
Correspondence to: Orhan V Ozkan, Associate Professor of General Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya University, Adnan Menderes Caddesi, Saglik Sokak No: 193, 54100 Sakarya, Turkey. veliorhan@hotmail.com
Telephone: +90-532-3417440 Fax: +90-264-2552106
Received: May 6, 2014
Revised: July 7, 2014
Accepted: August 27, 2014
Published online: November 16, 2014
Processing time: 188 Days and 8.3 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Abdominal “cocoon” is an extremely rare cause of small bowel obstruction. It should be thought of as a rare cause of small bowel obstruction. Its diagnosis is rarely made preoperatively. It has been reported mainly in young adolescent women. But in this adult patient, the small bowel is encased in a fibrous sac called an abdominal cocoon. The clinical manifestations of abdominal “cocoon” are non-specific. The combination of physical examination and radiological signs, and the knowledge of “recurrent characteristics of the complaints” which can be learned by a careful history, may be helpful in diagnosis. Surgery remains the main stay of treatment with satisfactory outcome.