Publication:

Small bowel volvulus: a rare twist in an adult

Volvulus is a special form of mechanical intestinal obstruction. It is most commonly seen in sigmoid colon. It results from abnormal twisting of a loop of bowel around the axis of its own mesentery. Small bowel volvulus (SBV) is a rare condition even though the incidence in Africa and Asia is high. It is of two types; primary and secondary. It requires emergency surgical intervention; more so as consuming time increases the risk of bowel getting gangrenous. Here is a case of primary small bowel volvulus in an elderly man with evidence of ischemic bowel and perforation who was managed surgically by resection and anastomosis.