Volvulus of the small intestine may occur when a loop of intestine is fixed at its apex e.g. by adhesions or by a Meckel's diverticulum remnant. Rarely the apex of the volvulus may be a tumour. Congenital mal- or non-rotation is another rare cause.
Primary volvulus of the small bowel is relatively common in Africa. This may be due to the different diet where a significant amount roughage is consumed. This may cause loading of a loop of gut with large quantities of vegetable foodstuffs and result in volvulus. The condition is rare in the West.
The clinical picture is one of acute intestinal obstruction: severe central abdominal pain. Hypovolaemia may occur due to venous pooling; urgent resuscitation is required before operative untwisting of the volvulus. If untwisting is not possible and bowel is infarcted, the affected segment needs to be resected.
Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page