Abstract
The patient was an 8-year-old girl who had been suffering from chronic constipation from the age of 1 year; however, she had not visited any medical institution. At the age of 7 years, she suddenly developed abdominal pain and was diagnosed as having sigmoid volvulus (SV) on the basis of physical and diagnostic imaging findings. She underwent endoscopic detorsion under general anesthesia. On the basis of postoperative contrast enema findings, she was diagnosed as having sigma elongatum. Although attempts were made to resolve her chronic constipation with laxatives and Chinese herbal medicines, no improvement was observed. SV recurred 10 months after the first occurrence; therefore, the patient again underwent endoscopic detorsion. As SV was recurring and the patient’s chronic constipation was refractory to conservative treatment, surgical treatment was planned. When the patient was 8 years old, she underwent laparoscopic-assisted resection of 20 cm of the sigmoid colon. Postoperatively, the patient’s constipation markedly improved. As sigma elongatum causes SV and chronic constipation, which can markedly lower the quality of life, surgery appears to be a valid choice in symptomatic patients.
