Gangrenous Gut in a Pregnant woman: A Case Report
Verner Orish
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho Volta Region, Ghana
Emmanuel Coomson
Department of Family Medicine, Essam Government Hospital, Sekondi-Takoradi, Sekondi, Western Region, Ghana
Seth Fanyi
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jemima Crentsil Hospital, Sekondi-Takoradi, Sekondi, Western Region, Ghana
Onyekachi Onyeabor
Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Adekunle Sanyaolu *
Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Nigeria
Chuku Okorie
Essex County College, Newark, New Jersey, USA
Afolabi Antonio
Department of Internal Medicine, Lloydminster Regional Hospital, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, Canada
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Gangrene of the intestines is a rare complication in pregnancy. Intestinal obstruction and ischemic bowel diseases are common causes of gangrene of the intestines in pregnancy. Adhesion bands can cause intestinal obstruction while arterial occlusion, venous thrombosis and vasculitis are some causes of ischemic bowel disease. We present a case of small intestinal gangrene in a 30 year old woman in her third pregnancy, diagnosed during emergency cesarean section with extensive gangrene of the ileum and jejunum caused by band formation at the illeo-caecal junction. This case, despite the unfortunate catastrophic outcome, highlights the subtle challenges of managing rare obstetric complication in resource limited settings.
Keywords: Intestinal gangrene, intestinal obstruction, fetal distress, abruption placentae, short bowel syndrome, electrolyte imbalance