Abstract

Cases of colonic volvulus in children are infrequently described in the literature. Here we describe the case of three patients with colonic volvulus. The first patient was a 10-year-old girl with abdominal dilation and pain and no bowel movement for 48 h. Her abdominal X-ray showed the coffee bean sign adjacent to the diaphragm, which was compatible with a diagnosis of cecal volvulus. The second patient was a 4-year-old boy with a history of chronic constipation during the past year and with no bowel movement for 24 h. Clinical manifestations included severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal distension. His abdominal X-ray demonstrated the coffee bean sign in the right upper quadrant with upward convexity corresponding to a diagnosis of sigmoid volvulus. The third patient was a 10-month-old male who presented with excessive crying, malnutrition, and no bowel movement for 36 h. His abdominal X-ray demonstrated the coffee bean sign in the left upper quadrant with upward convexity. The presence of gas was not observed in the distal obstructed region, corresponding to a diagnosis of sigmoid volvulus. All three patients successfully underwent colonoscopy for volvulus reduction. Volvulus did not reoccur in any of the patients within 6 months of follow-up. It is recommended to perform abdominal X-ray imaging in patients who present with abdominal pain and distension, diarrhea, or constipation for possibly diagnosing volvulus.

Cite this article as: Shahramian I, Bazi A, Ebadati D, Rostami K, Delaramnasab M.  Colonoscopic decompression of childhood sigmoid and cecal volvulus: a report of three cases. Turk J Gastroenterol 2018; 29: 221-5.