A case of early diagnosis of the primary volvulus of the small intestine by abdominal ultrasonography

Abstract

We report a case of primary volvulus of the small intestine. A 74-year-old man with no history of abdominal surgery was admitted for acute abdominal pain. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed torsion of the superior mesenteric vessels. Abdominal CT revealed a “whirl-like sign”. We suspected volvulus of the small intestine. An emergency operation revealed that the small intestine had rotated 360° in a counterclockwise manner because of mesenteroaxic torsion. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. In this case, abdominal ultrasonography was useful in the preoperative diagnosis of volvulus of the small intestine.