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Pictorial review: the pearls and pitfalls of the radiological manifestations of gallstone ileus

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Abstract

We present a pictorial review of a range of typical and atypical cases of gallstone ileus (GI), across a wide range of imaging modalities. GI is a complication of gallstone disease causing mechanical intestinal obstruction due to impaction of gallstone in the gastrointestinal tract. The spectrum of presentation can vary enormously, and we highlight the importance of accurate imaging diagnosis of GI especially early use of computed tomography. This will lead to timely and appropriate surgical intervention with the potential avoidance of unnecessary outcomes. The ambition of pictorial synopsis is to make the radiologists to be more vigilant to the common and more obscure imaging findings of GI.

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Acknowledgements

Images courtesy of Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Lower Lane, Liverpool, L9 7AL, UK

    Phei Shan Chuah, John Curtis, Dina Hikmat & Sumita Chawla

  2. Department of Surgery, Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Lower Lane, Liverpool, L9 7AL, UK

    Nikhil Misra

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  1. Phei Shan Chuah
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  2. John Curtis
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  3. Nikhil Misra
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  4. Dina Hikmat
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  5. Sumita Chawla
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Correspondence to Phei Shan Chuah or Sumita Chawla.

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Chuah, P.S., Curtis, J., Misra, N. et al. Pictorial review: the pearls and pitfalls of the radiological manifestations of gallstone ileus. Abdom Radiol 42, 1169–1175 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-016-0996-0

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