CLOSED-LOOP OBSTRUCTION: This can develop when intestinal blockage occurs at both the proximal and distal ends of a bowel segment. Examples include small bowel incarcerated in a tight hernia defect and intestinal volvulus. This situation is associated with more rapid progression to strangulation, and it is unlikely to resolve without operative therapy.
ILEUS: Distension of the small bowel and/or colon from nonobstructive causes.
INTERNAL HERNIA: A congenital or acquired defect within the peritoneal cavity that can lead to small bowel obstruction.
GALLSTONE ILEUS: Mechanical obstruction of the small bowel due to large gallstone(s) in the bowel lumen. This condition generally occurs when a stone or stones in the gallbladder enter the adjacent duodenum. The typical clinical presentation is characterized by intermittent bowel obstruction for several days until the stone lodges in the distal small bowel and causes complete obstruction.