Doctors in the US have reported the unusual case of a middle-aged man whose small bowel obstruction from a suspected gallstone turned out to be something a little more fruity.

Writing in BMJ Case Reports, they recount how the 56-year-old patient presented to ED with a one-day history of intermittent left-sided abdominal pain and nausea with a single episode of vomiting.

The patient reported no bowel movement in the past 24 hours, denied prior episodes and had no significant medical or surgical history to explain his condition.

The doctors reported that he appeared well, and his abdomen was non-tender but “visibly distended”.