Primary omental torsion with clinical masquerading as acute appendicitis and radiological key for diagnosis

Abstract

Omental torsion is a medical condition characterized by the twisting of the omentum along its longitudinal axis, which leads to compromised blood flow. This condition is rarely diagnosed before surgery and can present symptoms similar to other causes of acute surgical abdomen. This report details a case of primary omental torsion initially suspected to be acute appendicitis. The patient was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of lower right quadrant abdominal pain and mild fever. Computed tomography imaging revealed a twisted mass of fatty tissue with surrounding fat stranding changes, but no signs of appendicitis were found, indicating omental torsion. The patient underwent surgery to remove the twisted and necrotic omentum, leading to an improvement in symptoms. This case highlights the challenges in diagnosis and the crucial role of computed tomography imaging in managing this rare condition.

Keywords

• Primary omental torsion
• Acute appendicitis
• Greater omentum
• Computed tomography
• Omental whirl sign
• laparotomy