Acute surgical abdomen as presentation of undiagnosed midgut malrotation in adults

Abstract

Aim-Background

Acute presentation in adulthood of the indolent developmental midgut malformations constitutes a diagnostic problem and emergent surgery may result to an operative surprise.

Methods

In the last five years two women (case I: 46 years, case II: 88 years) and two men (case III: 42 years, case IV: 50 years) underwent urgent laparotomy for acute abdomen due to bowel obstruction (all cases) and peritonitis (cases II, III). Right colon volvulus in cases I, II and IV, ileocolonic intussusception in case II, gaseous distension of bowel loops and abdominal abscess in case III, and enlargement of the entire colon and megasigmoid in case IV were revealed by preoperative imaging. Symptoms of severe abdominal pain, abdominal distension with tenderness, vomiting and complete constipation were evident in all cases. At surgery, features of malrotation, mainly lack of fixation of the right colon which was volvulised, were found in all cases. Right-sided small intestine and Meckel's diverticulum abscess were found in case III, and an incompletely volvulised megasigmoid coexisted in case IV. We performed resection of peritoneal bands, right hemicolectomy with ileotransversostomy in cases I, II and IV, and enterectomy and right colon fixation in case III. A Hartmann's sigmoidectomy completed the operation in case IV.

Results

All cases had uneventful outcome, except for some delay in wound healing in a diabetic patient. Histology revealed ischaemia in all segments excised, ileocolonic intussusception associated with a caecal adenocarcinoma in case II, and inflammed Meckel's diverticulum in case III.

Conclusions

Adult bowel malrotation complicated with right colon volvulus and/or ileocolonic intussusception requires emergent surgery.

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