Acute gastric volvulus combined with pneumatosis coli rupture misdiagnosed as gastric volvulus with perforation: A case report.

Objective: To evaluate the relationships between the location and extent of diffusion of free intraperitoneal air by multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) and between the location and size of acute gastrointestinal perforation. Methods: This was a descriptive case series. We examined abdominal CT images of 33 patients who were treated for intraoperatively confirmed gastrointestinal perforation (excluding appendiceal perforation) in the Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital between January and September 2022. We identified five locations of intraperitoneal air: the subphrenic space, hepatic portal space, mid-abdominal wall, mesenteric space, and pelvic cavity. We allocated the 33 patients to an upper gastrointestinal perforation (n=23) and lower gastrointestinal perforation group (n=10) base on intraoperative findings and analyzed the relationships between the locations of free gas and of gastrointestinal perforation. Additionally, we established two models for analyzing the extent of diffusion of free gas in the abdominal cavity and constructed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to analyze the relationships between the two models and the size of the gastrointestinal perforation. Results: In the upper gastrointestinal perforation group, free gas was located around the hepatic portal area in 91.3% (21/23) of patients: this is a significantly greater proportion than that found in the lower gastrointestinal perforation group (5/10) (P=0.016). In contrast, free gas was located in the mesenteric interspace in 8/10 patients in the lower gastrointestinal perforation group; this is a significantly greater proportion than was found in the upper gastrointestinal perforation group (8.7%, 2/23) (P<0.010). The sensitivity of diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal perforation base on the presence of hepatic portal free gas was 84.8% and the specificity 71.4%. Further, the sensitivity of diagnosis of lower gastrointestinal perforation base on the presence of mesenteric interspace free gas was 80.0% and the specificity 91.3%. The rates of presence of free gas in the subdiaphragmatic area, mid-abdominal wall, and pelvic cavity did not differ significantly between the two groups (all P>0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that when free gas was present in four or more of the studied locations in the abdominal cavity, the optimal cutoff for perforation diameter was 2 cm, the corresponding sensitivity 66.7%, and the specificity 100%, suggesting that abdominal free gas diffuses extensively when the diameter of the perforation is >2 cm. Another model revealed that when free gas is present in three or more of the studied locations, the optimal cutoff for perforation diameter is 1 cm, corresponding to a sensitivity of 91.7% and specificity of 76.2%; suggesting that free gas is relatively confined in the abdominal cavity when the diameter of the perforation is <1 cm. Conclusion: Identifying which of five locations in the abdominal cavity contains free intraperitoneal air by examining MSCT images can be used to assist in the diagnosis of the location and size of acute gastrointestinal perforations.

Gastric volvulus was first described by Berti in 1966. Whereas acute gastric volvulus is very rare, chronic gastric volvulus on the other hand is being diagnosed with increasing frequency. This is attributed to the liberal use of barium meal for the evaluation of infants and children with repeated attacks of vomiting and recurrent chest infection. This report describes our experience in the management of 36 infants and children with acute and chronic gastric volvulus. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed for: age at diagnosis, sex, symptomatology, diagnosis, treatment and outcome. There were 22 males and 14 females. Their ages at presentation ranged from 1 week to 2.5 years (mean 6.7 months). Their symptomatology included repeated attacks of vomiting (30 patients), recurrent chest infection and asthma like symptoms (6 patients), failure to thrive (6 patients), chocking with feeds (3 patients), loose bowel motion (3 patients) and apnoea attack (1 patient). Two presented acutely with intrathoracic gastric volvulus. One of them had recurrent left diaphragmatic hernia while the other had a large paraesophageal hernia. The remaining patients had chronic intraabdominal gastric volvulus. Radiologically, all had organo-axial gastric volvulus except one who had mesenterico-axial gastric volvulus and 33 (97%) of them had demonstrable gastroesophageal reflux. Eleven were treated conservatively because their symptoms were mild to moderate and settled. The two patients with intrathoracic gastric volvulus underwent reduction of the contents, repair of the defect and anterior gastropexy. The remaining patients underwent gastropexy, both fundal and anterior. Intraoperatively, two were found to have diaphragmatic hernia, nine had mobile (non-fixed) spleen, and eight showed mobile stomach with lax ligaments. Post-operatively, all did well and showed good improvement with disappearance of their symptoms and increase in weight. Acute gastric volvulus is very rare. Prompt clinical suspicion and radiological assessment are essential to treat this life-threatening condition. Chronic gastric volvulus on the other hand is more common but under diagnosed. It should be included in the differential diagnosis of infants and children with repeated attacks of chest infection, vomiting and failure to thrive. Barium meal should form part of their investigations. The treatment of chronic gastric volvulus depends on their symptomatology. Those with mild to moderate symptoms should be treated conservatively, while those with persistent and severe symptoms should undergo anterior (to the abdominal wall) and fundal (to the diaphragm) gastropexy without fundoplication.

BackgroundAcute complete gastric volvulus is a rare and life-threatening disease, which is prone to gastric wall ischemia, perforation, and necrosis. If it is not treated by surgery in time, the mortality rate can range from 30 to 50%. Clinical presentations of acute gastric volvulus are atypical and often mimic other abdominal conditions such as gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux, gastric dilation, and pancreatitis. Imaging studies are crucial for diagnosis, with barium meal fluoroscopy being the primary modality for diagnosing gastric volvulus. Cases of acute gastric volvulus diagnosed by ultrasound are rarely reported.Case presentationWe reported a rare case of acute gastric volvulus in a 4-year-old Chinese girl who presented with vomiting and abdominal pain. Ultrasound examination revealed the “whirlpool sign” in the cardia region, raising suspicion of gastric volvulus. Diagnosis was confirmed by X-ray barium meal fluoroscopy, which indicated left-sided diaphragmatic hernia and obstruction at the cardia region. Surgical intervention confirmed our suspicion of acute complete gastric volvulus combined with diaphragmatic hernia.ConclusionIn this case, we reported an instance of acute complete gastric volvulus. Ultrasound revealed a “whirlpool sign” in the cardia, which is likely to be a key sign for the diagnosis of complete gastric volvulus.

Patient: Male, 23Final Diagnosis: Acute spontaneous gastric volvulusSymptoms: —Medication: —Clinical Procedure: LaparotomySpecialty: Gastroenterology and HepatologyObjective:Rare diseaseBackground:Acute gastric volvulus is a surgical emergency that requires early recognition and treatment. Acute idiopathic mesenteroaxial gastric volvulus is a rare sub-type and there are few cases reported in children and there are even fewer reports in adults.Case Report:We report a rare case of a 23-year-old man who presented with a 1-day history of vomiting, epigastric pain, distention, and constipation. The diagnosis for mesenteroaxial type gastric volvulus was confirmed by abdominal radiography and computed tomography. The patient was successfully treated by laparotomy with resection of the ischemic stomach wall and anastomosis.Acute spontaneous mesenteroaxial gastric volvulus is rare in adults and early diagnosis is challenging due to non-specific symptoms. A missed or delayed diagnosis may result in serious complications due to gastric obstruction.Conclusions:A patient presenting with severe epigastric pain and clinical evidence of gastric outlet obstruction should be considered as a surgical emergency to rule out gastric volvulus. High index of suspicion, early diagnosis and prompt surgical management are important for favorable outcome in patients with acute spontaneous gastric volvulus.

IntroductionThe gastric volvulus is a rare condition in which the stomach, or part of it, rotates on its axis, for over 180°, constituting a surgical emergency. Even more rare is gastro-gastric intussusception. A delay in their diagnosis and treatment can have fatal consequences Presentation of caseAn 82-year-old woman was admitted to the Surgery Unit with a two-day history of abdominal pain associated at first with coffee vomiting and, subsequently, with unproductive retching and oligoanuria. Physical examination showed severe dehydration, fever, at the abdominal level, palpation caused a marked tenderness of all quadrants, with signs of peritonism.Laboratory test showed showed neutrophilic hyperleukocytosis and high C reactive protein level. Abdominal computed tomography revealed an acute intrathoracic gastric volvulus and a gastrogastric intussuception. The patient was submitted to exploratory laparotomy, subtotal gastrectomy with Roux en Y anastomosis and simple plastic of the esophageal hiatus. At the end of the surgery, however, the patient died of your septic shock. DiscussionThe traditional treatment for a patient with acute gastric volvulus is an immediate surgical intervention to derotate the stomach and prevent vascular insufficiency.In the presence of necrosis or gastric perforation, resection should be performed.The few cases of gastrogastric intussusception described in the literature have been treated with sub-total gastrectomy and gastro-jejunal anastomosis. Any delay in diagnosis and treatment can prove fatal. ConclusionIntrathoracic Gastric Volvulus and, even more, retrograde gastrointestinal intussusception are very rare pathologies, difficult to diagnose.

Acute gastric volvulus requires emergency surgery, and a laparoscopic approach for both acute and chronic gastric volvulus was reported recently to give good results. The case of a 50-year-old patient with acute primary gastric volvulus who was treated by laparoscopic reduction and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is described here. This approach seems to be feasible and safe for not only chronic gastric volvulus, but also acute gastric volvulus.

Introduction and importance:Gastric volvulus is rare and may result in a closed-loop obstruction. Even with appropriate management, mortality may occur in up to 50% of patients. The conventional treatment for acute gastric volvulus has been immediate operation with reduction and detorsion of the volvulus.Case presentation:Here, the authors present a case of acute gastric volvulus following fasting. The patient underwent definitive surgical treatment with detorsion and gastropexy, and was discharged with no postoperative complications.Clinical discussion:Acute gastric volvulus is a rare yet serious medical condition that requires immediate diagnosis and intervention to prevent complications. The case presented highlights the importance of recognizing both common and subtle signs of gastric volvulus, though nonspecific symptoms may delay diagnosis. In this patient, the acute onset of symptoms following a large meal and failure to pass a nasogastric tube were early indicators that prompted imaging and led to the diagnosis of mesenteroaxial gastric volvulus. CT imaging played a crucial role in confirming the diagnosis, demonstrating its value in acute abdominal presentations where symptoms overlap with other causes of gastrointestinal obstruction. This case also emphasizes the importance of early intervention to avoid ischemic complications and improve survival rates.Conclusion:Acute gastric volvulus is a rare, potentially life-threatening condition that can easily be missed due to nonspecific symptoms. Early recognition, prompt imaging, and immediate surgical intervention are critical to preventing serious complications such as strangulation and necrosis.

Gastric volvulus is an important cause of nonbilious emesis that must be recognized early to ensure a good outcome. We reviewed 7 cases from our institution, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (Egleston campus). In addition, we reviewed all gastric volvulus cases in children published to date in the English literature to draw general conclusions about the presentation and treatment of this unusual disease. An electronic literature search was performed to find all published cases of pediatric gastric volvulus. The care of all children from January 2002 to December 2007 who were treated for gastric volvulus was also reviewed. There have been 581 cases of gastric volvulus in children published in English between 1929 and 2007. Of these, 252 were acute and 329 were chronic cases. The most common presentation of acute gastric volvulus is in a child <5 years old with nonbilious emesis, epigastric distention, and abdominal pain. Acute gastric volvulus is often associated with deformities of adjacent organs. Definitive diagnosis is made with upper gastrointestinal studies, and definitive therapy requires repair of associated defects and anterior fixation of the stomach to the abdominal wall. The most common presentation of chronic volvulus is in an infant <1 year old with emesis, epigastric distention, feeding difficulties, and growth failure. Treatment may be medical or surgical depending on the underlying etiology of the volvulus. Acute gastric volvulus is a potentially life-threatening occurrence with a good outcome when treated in a timely fashion. Chronic volvulus may be more difficult to recognize. The common features of acute and chronic gastric volvulus described in this review should assist pediatric health care providers in promptly diagnosing and treating this disease.

A 90-year-old female complaining of severe upper abdominal pain was transferred to our institution. The patient had been prescribed with calcium polystyrene sulfonate (CPS) for the treatment of hyperkalemia following myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA) associated glomerulonephritis. Physical examination revealed diffuse tenderness over the abdomen, with signs of peritoneal irritation. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed the retention of ascites, free air in the abdominal cavity, and the retention of hard stools in the left-sided colon. The diagnosis of intestinal perforation was immediately confirmed; thereafter, the patient underwent emergency surgical treatment. Surgical findings revealed a perforated site in the descending colon surrounded with hard stools. Histopathology of the perforated colon revealed crystalline materials, suggestive of association with CPS. CPS is a cation-exchange resin used to treat hyperkalemia; the major adverse effect in patients receiving CPS is constipation. When CPS is administered to patients with frequent constipation or the elderly, the risk of intestinal perforation should be considered.

Gastric volvulus (GV) is a rare condition in infants. The aim of this study was to define the management strategies of infants with GV based on their clinical and radiologic features. The medical records of 13 infants with a radiologically confirmed diagnosis of GV were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the type of treatment (surgical vs conservative). Abdominal radiographs and upper gastrointestinal contrast studies allowed an unequivocal diagnosis in both groups. Group 1 included 3 infants with acute GV and 2 with chronic, intermittent secondary GV. Three patients had associated diaphragmatic defects, 1 had an ileocolic intussusception, and 1 had hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. The main presenting symptoms were vomiting, dehydration, respiratory distress, and abdominal pain and distention in acute cases and vomiting and failure to thrive in chronic cases. A laparotomy was required in all 5 infants with no recurrence of symptoms. Group 2 included 8 infants with idiopathic chronic GV, who were managed nonoperatively with gradual improvement of symptoms over 12 months. Based on our study, we conclude that: (1) laparotomy can be reserved for patients with either acute or chronic secondary GV; (2) conservative treatment is both safe and effective in infants with chronic idiopathic GV; and (3) routine gastropexy for all patients with a radiologic diagnosis of GV appears to be overtreatment.

Bowel gas is usually confined to the lumen of the gut, but owing to a variety of pathological processes, gas may escape into the peritoneal cavity. It is important to...

Acute gastric volvulus: A rare case report and literature review

INTRODUCTION: Gastric volvulus is an uncommon and potentially life-threatening clinical entity characterized by rotation of the stomach along its long or short axis provoking variable degrees of gastric outlet obstruction. Clinical presentation varies between acute and chronic volvulus. Here we present a rare case of chronic organoaxial volvulus presenting with dysphagia. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: The patient is an 87 year old male with a medical history of hypertension, obstructive sleep apena, multi-nodular goiter (with thyroid resection resulting in vocal cord paralysis) who was referred to the gastroenterology clinic for dysphagia. The patient states he had dysphagia to solids for one year. The patient denied associated nausea, vomiting, hematemesis, hematochezia, constipation or unintended weight loss. Complete blood count and comprehensive metabolic panel at that time were unremarkable. Physical exam was also unremarkable. Given his symptoms a barium swallow was ordered to further evaluate his gastrointestinal tract. This was done and showed no evidence of esophageal obstruction or esophageal mass, but did incidentally find organoaxial rotation of the stomach. The patient was scheduled to undergo upper esophagogastroduodenoscopy, but was non-compliant with the appointment and lost to follow up. DISCUSSION: Acute gastric volvulus usually presents with sudden onset abdominal or chest pain, severe retching with occasional vomiting, and epigastric distention. Chronic gastric volvulus on the in contrast can present with a complete absence of symptoms to non- specific symptoms, such as abdominal pain, dyspepsia, dysphagia, acid reflux, nocturnal cough, hiccups, non-bilious vomiting, weight loss, and anemia. Diagnosis of gastric volvulus is conventionally achieved with chest radiograph, upper barium studies or CT- scan. Regardging treatment of acute symptomatic gastric volvulus, nasogastric decompression is usually the first step, followed by surgery. Some patients at high risk for surgery, mainly elderly, can also be treated endoscopically with adequate decompression and reduction of the stomach and placement of a gastrostomy tube to gastropexy the stomach to the abdominal wall.

Pneumoperitoneum is a condition that refers to the presence of free air (gas) in the abdominal cavity. Differential diagnosis of the causes of pneumoperitoneum varies widely and represents varying degrees of severity. In the patients who have not recently underwent laparotomy or laparoscopy, the finding of pneumoperitoneum is usually a sign of gastrointestinal perforation that requires immediate surgical approach due to the risk of peritonitis with subsequent life-threatening sepsis. However, not all causes of pneumoperitoneum require surgery. In our case report, we present a rare case of clinically asymptomatic pneumoperitoneum that developed in a 66-year-old patient after CT colonography. In this diagnostic method, we inflate colon with carbon dioxide (CO2 ); therefore this kind of pneumoperitoneum can de facto be called capnoperitoneum. In this patient, free air (gas) in the abdominal cavity manifested itself in the so-called benign pneumoperitoneum, which is defined as asymptomatic free air in the abdominal cavity and pneumoperitoneum without peritonitis. Despite the fact that CT colonography is considered a method with a very low incidence of complications, it is necessary to take into account the presence of risk factors in its indication and to contraindicate to avoid the number of postoperative complications. The fundamental message of our case report is that extensive pneumoperitoneum after proven CT colonography can be asymptomatic and can be treated conservatively (if clinical and laboratory results are favorable).

When performing endoscopic reduction in patients with gastric volvulus, it is important to maintain a low level of intragastric pressure and to fix the endoscope in the duodenum. Gel immersion endoscopy is a new method for securing the visual field by injecting clear gel. The balloon-attached endoscope makes it easier to fix the tip in the duodenum without mucosal damage. We report successful reduction of a mesenteroaxial gastric volvulus using an endoscope with a balloon in combination with gel immersion endoscopy. A 3-year-old Japanese male developed gastric volvulus. Since gastric decompression using a nasogastric tube failed to reduce the volvulus, endoscopic reduction was performed under general anesthesia. After aspiration of intragastric gas, clear gel was injected through the accessory channel which secured the visual field in the stomach even with residue while maintaining low intragastric pressure. After reaching the descending portion of the duodenum, the balloon attached to the tip of the endoscope was inflated and fixed in the duodenum. The volvulus was successfully reduced by pulling back the endoscope with clockwise torque. Acute mesenteroaxial gastric volvulus has the potential to cause ischemia and perforation which can be life-threatening, so most patients are treated with surgical intervention. Gel immersion endoscopy is safe and effective to secure the visual field, even in children. Endoscopic reduction may be a viable treatment option for reducing gastric volvulus in non-emergent patients.