Total volvulus of the small intestine on incomplete common mesentery, an exceptional complication in adults: A case report and review of the literature

Zeroual, Ahmed and Ramraoui, Mohammed Essaid and Guazzar, Ahmed EL and Fihri, Mohamed Jawad Fassi EL and Baba, Hicham and Lahkim, Mohammed and Khader, Ahmed El and Barni, Rachid El (2025) Total volvulus of the small intestine on incomplete common mesentery, an exceptional complication in adults: A case report and review of the literature. International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 14 (2). pp. 1274-1279. ISSN 2582-8185

Total volvulus of the small intestine complicating an incomplete common mesentery corresponds to a failure in the 180° rotation of the primitive intestinal loop. The mesenteric root is extremely short, and the entire small intestine is pedicled on the superior mesenteric arterial axis. This condition poses a high risk of small bowel volvulus and entero-mesenteric infarction. Acute volvulus necessitates emergency surgical intervention; imaging should not delay surgical management. The surgical procedure involves detorsion of the volvulus (counterclockwise rotation) and assessment of intestinal viability. The intestine is repositioned in a complete common mesentery configuration: the cecum is placed in the left iliac fossa. We report the case of a 60-year-old patient admitted for total volvulus of the small intestine on incomplete common mesentery, successfully operated on as an emergency, with a favorable postoperative outcome.