Enfermedad obstructiva del intestino delgado en el paciente geriátricodiagnóstico diferencial

Resum

Obstructive disease of the small bowel in the elderly patient is a frequent entity, but due to the effect of aging and the associated diseases, the clinical picture generally is confusing and differential diagnosis is very difficult, in consequence physicians caring for elderly patients must have a high index of suspicion for the same gastrointestinal diseases that afflict young adults. We present a 77 year-old male that showed a clinical picture of an incomplete bowel obstruction secondary to inflammatory stricture of the terminal ileum. We performed a surgical resection of the affected ileum and the histological study of the surgical piece was compatible with Crohn¿s disease. We did not consider necessary a complementary treatment and the patient is free of disease six months later. The authors attempt to describe the multiple disorders implicated in the differential diagnosis of the obstructive disease of the small bowel in the elderly patient, including an update on the newer methods of diagnosis.