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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
Many conditions can cause intestinal obstruction. The causes often differ, however, depending on whether the obstruction occurs in the small intestine or in the colon.
"Mechanical" obstruction occurs when something — such as a hernia or tumor — is physically blocking your intestine. Blockage of your intestine can be partial or complete. Paralytic ileus (pseudo-obstruction), a condition in which your intestines don't function properly, may have the same signs and symptoms as mechanical obstruction, but no physical obstruction is present.
Mechanical obstruction of the small intestine
Common causes of mechanical obstruction in the small intestine include the following:
- Intestinal adhesions. These bands of fibrous tissue in the abdominal cavity may be present at birth (congenital). But, more often, they form after abdominal surgery. Intestinal adhesions can bind sections of your intestine, blocking the passage of food and fluids.
- Hernias. Hernias occur when part of your intestine protrudes into another part of your body. If a loop of intestine becomes trapped due to a hernia, it will cause intestinal obstruction.
- Tumors. A tumor within your small intestine may block the passage of food and fluids, causing obstruction.
Adhesions, hernias and tumors account for about 90 percent of cases of mechanical small intestine obstruction. Other causes include:
- Telescoping of a portion of the intestine into another portion (intussusception)
- Twisting of the intestine (volvulus)
- Narrowing of the outlet from the stomach (stricture)
- Inflammation or scarring from Crohn's disease
Mechanical obstruction of the colon
Mechanical intestinal obstruction is less common in the colon than in the small intestine. Only 10 to 15 percent of mechanical obstruction cases occur in the colon. Adhesions and hernias rarely cause obstruction in the colon. The most common causes of mechanical colonic obstruction include the following:
- Cancer
- Diverticulitis — a condition in which small, bulging pouches (diverticula) in the digestive tract become inflamed or infected
- Twisting of the colon (volvulus)
Less common causes of intestinal obstruction in the colon include:
- Telescoping of a portion of the colon into another portion (intussusception)
- Impacted feces
- Narrowing of the colon (stricture)
- Foreign bodies — swallowed objects that block the colon
Paralytic ileus
Paralytic ileus can cause signs and symptoms of intestinal obstruction. In paralytic ileus, although there is no blockage, the intestines don't function properly; movement of the intestines is greatly reduced or absent. The intestines are unable to move food and fluid smoothly through the digestive system.
Paralytic ileus can affect any part of the intestine. The most common cause of paralytic ileus is abdominal surgery. Right after abdominal surgery, the intestines don't function normally. A nasogastric (NG) tube and intravenous fluids are often necessary until the intestines begin to function again. Postoperative paralytic ileus is not a form of mechanical obstruction.
