A Case of Volvulus of the Transverse Colon

Kazuhiro Kochi, Takashi Yokoyama*, Takashi Kodama, Yoshio Takesue, Mitsuaki Okita, Atsushi Nakamitsu, Yoshiaki Murakami, Takahiro Santo, Hiroaki Tsumura, Toshiaki Hirata, Yuichiro Matsuura

First Department of Surgery and Department of General Medicine*, Hiroshima University School of Medicine

A very rare case of volvulus of the transverse colon is reported. A 30 year old woman was admitted to our hospital complaining of abdominal distension. She was suffering from cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and chronic constipation. Abdominal X-ray films revealed marked gaseous dilation of the colon elevating the diaphragm. Suspecting volvulus of the sigmoid colon, we immediately performed a colonoscopy to determine the site of the volvulus. The colonoscope easiely passed through the sigmoid colon and torsion of the colon was found 90 cm proximal from the anus. Detorsion was not successful. Considering volvulus of the transverse colon, laparotomy was performed. Because the transverse colon was necrotic even after attempted detorion, the transverse colon was resected. Reconstruction was by end to end anastomosis of the colon without colostomy. Chronic dysfunction of bowel movement predisposing to volvulus, colonic resection should be performed to reccurnce. Even if viable colon was found at detorsion.

Key words
volvulus of the transverse colon

Reprint requests
Kazuhiro Kochi First Department of Surgery, Hiroshima University School of Medicine
1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734 JAPAN

Accepted
June 17, 1992

To read the PDF file you will need Abobe Reader installed on your computer.