One of the rare but serious causes of acute abdomen is gastric volvulus. It is considered an emergent surgical condition when it takes place acutely due to the risk of gastric strangulation, gangrene, and perforation. In this study, we introduce a case of a previously healthy young adult patient who presented with sudden severe epigastric and left upper quadrant abdominal pain along with nausea and retching following insufficient mastication and rapid swallowing of large amounts of vegetables. Radiological studies with chest and abdominal X-rays were in favor of acute gastric outlet obstruction and finally, laparotomy confirmed the diagnosis of acute, primary mesenteroaxial gastric volvulus. We postulated a probable justifying mechanism of the presence of a flaccid gastrocolic ligament (found through the laparotomy) besides rapid entrance of great pieces of vegetables into the stomach precipitated instant gastric rotation.
Keywords: Abdominal X_ray; Acute abdomen; Gastric volvulus; Incomplete mastication; Mesenteroaxial.
© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of University of Washington.