Gangrenous Gut in a Pregnant Woman: A Case Report

Verner Orish; Emmanuel Coomson; Seth Fanyi; Onyekachi Onyeabor; Adekunle Sanyaolu; Chuku Okorie; Afolabi Antonio

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.

Keywords: Intestinal gangrene, intestinal obstruction, fetal distress, abruption placentae, short bowel syndrome, electrolyte imbalance

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 an 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.