Bouveret's Syndrome as a Rare Complication of Cholecystolithiasis: Report of a Case

Bouveret's syndrome, which is gastric outlet obstruction caused by a gallstone in the duodenum or pylorus, is a very rare complication of gallstone disease. It occurs most commonly in women (65%), with a median age of 68.6 years. This disorder is usually treated by surgery, but it has also been successfully treated by endoscopy, with or without extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. The mortality rate has improved to 12% in recent years. Herein we report the case of a 76-year-old woman with Bouveret's syndrome, and review the literature on this unusual entity. Received: January 7, 2002 / Accepted: May 7, 2002 Reprint requests to: E. Shiloni