Radiological features of acute gastric volvulus in adult patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the radiological features of acute gastric volvulus in adults and correlate these features with operative findings.


METHODS
The clinical, radiological and operative findings of five adult patients (four males and one female with mean age of 50.4 years) who presented or referred to King Abdullah University hospital over 4 year's period with symptoms of acute gastric volvulus were reviewed retrospectively. All patients underwent upper gastrointestinal barium study and two of them had computed tomographic (CT) scans preoperatively. The radiological features demonstrated on upper gastrointestinal barium exams and CT scans were analyzed and compared with operative findings.


RESULTS
Radiological and operative findings revealed organo-axial gastric volvulus in all patients in our study. All of them had associated diaphragmatic defect or hiatal hernia. The upper gastrointestinal barium studies demonstrated the classic radiological features of organo-axial volvulus. CT done on two of our patients confirmed the diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Upper gastrointestinal barium study is an accurate way to diagnose and characterize acute gastric volvulus in adult patients. CT scan can also be used to diagnose this clinical entity.
Al-Balas
Hassan
H
Department of Radiology, King Abdullah University Hospital, Irbid, Jordan. albalas@yahoo.com
Hani
Mohammed Bani
MB
Omari
Hamzi Z
HZ
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001464:Barium; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000002:abnormalities; D005260:Female; D006551:Hernia, Hiatal / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013270:Stomach / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013277:Stomach Volvulus / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D001464:Barium