Idiopathic gastric volvulus in infancy and childhood.

Gastric volvulus is a rare condition in childhood. Most of the reported cases have been acute and secondary in type with predisposing factors. Between 1965 and 1988, 49 patients were treated at this institution for chronic idiopathic gastric volvulus. Patients were divided further into two groups according to age at admission. The main symptom was vomiting in the neonatal and infantile group, whereas it was abdominal distension, vomiting, weight loss, or constipation in the older age group. This clinical feature was different from that of acute gastric volvulus in which the symptoms resulted from gastric obstruction. Plain film of the abdomen showed no characteristic findings. Contrast study of upper gastrointestinal series showed findings similar to those of the acute volvulus, but the extent or degree was less significant. Conservative treatment was successfully undertaken for the patients in the neonatal and infantile group just by keeping them in prone position. The rationale for this method was demonstrated by the clinical and radiological improvement. Fundic gastropexy was performed in all of 18 patients of the older age group and in one of 31 patients of the neonatal and infantile group. The operative results were satisfactory except for one patient with mental retardation. In Japan, neonates or infants are customarily nursed in the supine position. This is presumed to be a reason why the chronic idiopathic gastric volvulus is frequently noticed.