BACKGROUND: Acute gastric volvulus is a rare, but potentially life-threatening, cause of upper gastrointestinal obstruction. CLINICAL CASE: Male of 60 years old with severe epigastric pain and abdominal distension with haematemesis on two occasions. The patient was haemodynamically stable, with abdominal distension and palpable epigastric fullness. Hematic cytology showed: haemoglobin 8.2g/dl and haematocrit 27%. Abdominal X-ray showed an elevation of left diaphragm with a hugely dilated stomach. A nasogastric tube was inserted. Endoscopy was performed. There was no active bleeding, but it was impossible to reach the duodenum due to the stomach distortion. The upper gastrointestinal X-ray study showed the appearance of an inverted stomach in the chest and an organoaxial gastric torsion. The CT scans of thorax and abdomen showed a gastric ascent into the thoracic cavity. Laparoscopic surgery was performed, finding the left hemi-diaphragm elevated, and the stomach, splenic angle of the colon, the spleen and tail of the pancreas were also raised. A linear gastrectomy (gastric sleeve) was performed. The postoperative progress was satisfactory. Oral feeding was started 72 hours after surgery, and the patient was discharged, and has remained asymptomatic during the following by 8 years. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency physicians must maintain a high level of suspicion in patients that present with signs and symptoms suggesting upper digestive tract occlusion. The gastric sleeve is an excellent alternative to avoid recurrence of gastric volvulus.
BACKGROUND: Acute gastric volvulus is a rare, but potentially life-threatening, cause of upper gastrointestinal obstruction. CLINICAL CASE: Male of 60 years old with severe epigastric pain and abdominal distension with haematemesis on two occasions. The patient was haemodynamically stable, with abdominal distension and palpable epigastric fullness. Hematic cytology showed: haemoglobin 8.2g/dl and haematocrit 27%. Abdominal X-ray showed an elevation of left diaphragm with a hugely dilated stomach. A nasogastric tube was inserted. Endoscopy was performed. There was no active bleeding, but it was impossible to reach the duodenum due to the stomach distortion. The upper gastrointestinal X-ray study showed the appearance of an inverted stomach in the chest and an organoaxial gastric torsion. The CT scans of thorax and abdomen showed a gastric ascent into the thoracic cavity. Laparoscopic surgery was performed, finding the left hemi-diaphragm elevated, and the stomach, splenic angle of the colon, the spleen and tail of the pancreas were also raised. A linear gastrectomy (gastric sleeve) was performed. The postoperative progress was satisfactory. Oral feeding was started 72 hours after surgery, and the patient was discharged, and has remained asymptomatic during the following by 8 years. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency physicians must maintain a high level of suspicion in patients that present with signs and symptoms suggesting upper digestive tract occlusion. The gastric sleeve is an excellent alternative to avoid recurrence of gastric volvulus.