Right Colonic Volvulus: A Case Report

Abstract

An 86-year-old woman presented to a hospital with lower abdominal fullness. Based on abdominal radiography, she was diagnosed as having sigmoid volvulus, and endoscopic detorsion was planned. However, her symptoms resolved following the administration of an enema for preoperative bowel preparation, and subsequent colonoscopy revealed detorsion. Unfortunately, symptoms relapsed the following day. Owing to persistence of the symptoms, the patient visited another hospital and was eventually referred to our hospital for treatment of right colonic volvulus diagnosed by contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography. We performed an emergency operation and observed that the right colon was not fixed to the retroperitoneum and was rotated 270 degrees in a clockwise direction around the ileocecal mesentery. After detorsion, we identified several serosal defects and therefore performed a right hemicolectomy. Her postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged on the 21st postoperative day.