Volvulus of the colon.

THE NOUN volvulus has its origin from the Latin verb "volvere" which means "to turn about" or "to roll." During the past one hundred years physicians have created and firmly established the word "volvulus" as a vernacularism common to their profession and without meaning if employed in any other manner. The term is interpreted as describing a process in which a torsion or twisting of a segment of bowel results in an obstruction to the lumen and a disturbance in circulation to the wall of the intestine. Even though volvulus may occur almost anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract, this paper is designed primarily to deal with lesions of the colon. Eight cases of volvulus of the colon, encountered during the past ten years, form a basis for this study. A personal interest in volvulus of the colon was inspired by the rather unique experience of observing 5 of the 8