title: Fetal primary small bowel volvulus in a child without intestinal malrotation.
abstract: Fetal primary small bowel volvulus without atresia or malrotation is an extremely rare but life-threatening surgical emergency. We report a case of primary small bowel volvulus that presented as sudden fetal distress and was diagnosed on the basis of the 'whirl-pool sign' of fetal sonography. This diagnosis led to emergency operation after birth at the third trimester with a good outcome. Although the pathogenesis of fetal primary small bowel volvulus is unclear, ganglion cell immaturity may play a role in the etiology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yeouido St' Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea. jhjung@catholic.ac.kr
authors.forename: Jae Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Gye-Yeon
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Ji Sun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: We
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D045822:Intestinal Volvulus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D007421:Intestine, Small; D008297:Male; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal
keywords: Fetal primary small bowel volvulus; The gangion cell immaturity; Whirl-pool sign