AN OPERATED CASE OF GASTRIC VOLVULUS

Gastric volvulus is principally a disease for infants and uncommonly occurs in adults. In this paper, a case of gastric volvulus in an adult is reported. A 71-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of upper abdominal pain and vomiting. On an endoscopic study of the stomach, the endoscope was not able to reach to the pyloric part of the stomach due to prominent deformity of the stomach. Abdominal CT scan revealed the remarkably extended stomach. Gastric volvulus was diagnosed. Endoscopic reduction resulted in incomplete reduction and the patient was operated on. At laparotomy, the stomach twisted longitudinally as well as traversally, without hiatal hernia of the esophagus. The stomach was reduced and fixed to the abdomonal wall. There are some case reports that no recurrence has been observed after endoscopic reduction. In the treatment of gastric volvulus that strongly resists the reduction like in this case, laparoscopic reduction must be kept in mind, though we did not employ it for this case.