Malrotation with midgut volvulus and bowel gangrene in a 45-year-old man

Abstract

Midgut volvulus due to intestinal malrotation is a rare occurrence in adult life. Malrotation is a congenital, developmental anomaly that results from an arrest of the physiological rotation of the gut through 270°. It is often thought that complications due to it, present themselves early during childhood and rarely occur among adults. However, a few cases have occurred and have been reported among adults. When it does occur in adults, it is often associated with catastrophic consequences. We present the case of a 45-year-old man with malrotation resulting in midgut volvulus. Our patient is a 45-year-old man, who presented with sudden onset of colicky abdominal pain and abdominal swelling of 24 h duration. He had been having recurrent abdominal pain since childhood. Physical examination revealed a patient in shock with markedly distended abdomen and anterior abdominal wall edema. Plain abdominal X-ray showed multiple air-fluid levels with thickened bowel outline. A diagnosis of intestinal obstruction was made. The patient was fully resuscitated and planned for emergency exploratory laparotomy under general anesthesia. Intraoperative findings revealed a 360° clockwise rotation of the small bowel around the mesenteric pedicle of the superior mesenteric artery and vein including about 350 cm of bowel gangrene. Resection and anastomosis were done. The early postoperative period was uneventful. However, he had anastomotic dehiscence on the 5th postoperative day and had to be reoperated but sadly he died 24 h later due to complications of anesthesia. Nonspecific recurrent abdominal complaints in adults of any age should raise suspicion of the possibility of a midgut malrotation or malfixation with or without intermittent volvulus. This case highlights the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.