Torsion omentum mimicking appendicitis: A rare cause of pain abdomen

Abstract

Omental torsion is a rare cause of acute abdomen. It usually presents with acute onset right-sided abdominal pain. The most common risk factors are adult male between 40 and 50 years of age and obesity. Clinical diagnosis is challenging and difficult to differentiate from more common clinical pathologies such as acute appendicitis and acute cholecystitis. Transabdominal imaging such as ultrasonography and computed tomography are useful showing typical whirl pattern. Advocated management is surgical excision of torted omentum. Herein, we report a case of primary omental torsion in an adult and a review of current literature. The diagnosis was incidental when patient was undertaken for laparoscopic appendectomy. This case not only highlights the importance of considering omental torsion in the differential diagnosis of right-sided acute abdominal pain but also endorses the changing practice to the laparoscopic approach for management of right-sided abdominal pain.

Keywords

• Abdominal pain
• omental torsion
• laparoscopy