2018 Volume 38 Issue 3 Pages 595-597
We report herein on a rare case of a primary small intestinal volvulus in a 56-year-old male. The patient visited our hospital because of sudden abdominal pain. An enhanced computed tomography examination showed a closed loop of the small intestine. An emergency laparoscopic operation was performed under a diagnosis of strangulated obstruction. It was found that 50cm of the ileum had rotated 180° counter-clockwise. Laparoscopic repair avoided removal of the ileum. Since there no adhesion or tumors were found, primary volvulus of the small intestine was diagnosed. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on the 6th day. This is a rare and difficult condition to diagnose preoperatively. Whilst it is normally characterized by a whirl sign on abdominal CT, and overeating and heavy exercise can play a role, our case was atypical at this point. Laparoscopic repair of a small intestinal volvulus is very rare in Japan. We consider that our laparoscopic technique was useful in the diagnosis and treatment of our case.
