A Case of Mesenterium Commune in which Defecation Difficulties and Abdominal Pain Improved after Laparoscopic Colectomy

Abstract

A 51-year-old woman developed sudden abdominal pain and was brought to our hospital by ambulance. Sigmoid volvulus was diagnosed, and endoscopic reduction was performed. On further investigation, the cause of the sigmoid volvulus was dolichocolon associated with mesenterium commune. Since the patient had a long-standing history of intractable constipation and abdominal pain since youth, laparoscopic-assisted colectomy and prophylactic appendectomy were performed at her request. Postoperatively, the chronic constipation and repeated abdominal pain that had troubled the patient for many years disappeared, and her quality of life improved dramatically. This case suggests that mesenterium commune should be included in the differential diagnosis of intractable constipation dating from infancy, and that if mesenterium commune is diagnosed on imaging, then surgical treatment is a useful option.