A rare cause of small bowel obstruction: small bowel polyps—a five year retrospective surgical study

Aims: Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is most frequently caused by postoperative adhesions, while intraluminal lesions such as small bowel polyps remain a rare and often overlooked contributing factor. Due to a nonspecific clinical presentation and limited preoperative diagnostic accuracy, these lesions are frequently identified coincidentally during surgical exploration. This study aims to evaluate the demographic characteristics, surgical findings, histopathological features, and clinical outcomes of patients operated on for SBO caused by small bowel polyps. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent surgical intervention for SBO between 2020 and 2025. Among these, patients in whom small bowel polyps were diagnosed as the cause of obstruction were analyzed. Demographic data, clinical presentation, imaging findings, intraoperative obstruction sites, surgical procedures performed, histopathological results, and postoperative outcomes were evaluated. Results: A total of 10 patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 49.5±10.55 years. The male-to-female ratio was 3:2. Obstruction was located in the ileum segment of the small intestine in all patients. Nine patients underwent open surgery, and one patient underwent laparoscopic surgery. In the preoperative computed tomography examinations of the patients, the length of the intussuscepted segment was 10.18±3.14 cm, the diameter of the intussuscepted segment was 4.23±0.26 cm, and the length of the resected small-bowel segment was 29±9.37 cm. Histopathological examination revealed 6 patients with inflammatory fibroid polyp (IFP, Vanek’s tumor), 3 patients with inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT), and 1 patient with polypoid gastric heterotopia. The average hospital stay was 6±1.76 days, and 1 patient developed superficial surgical site infection. No perioperative mortality was observed.Conclusion: Although small bowel polyps are a rare cause of adult SBO, they should be considered in the differential diagnosis, particularly in patients without a history of prior abdominal or pelvic surgery. Surgical intervention remains both diagnostic and therapeutic, allowing resolution of obstruction and definitive identification of the underlying lesion. Increased awareness of this uncommon etiology, combined with careful preoperative imaging and histopathological assessment, may facilitate earlier diagnosis, guide surgical management and improve patient outcomes.