Primary hydatid cyst of the mesentery presenting as a small bowel volvulus

Hydatid disease mostly caused by Echinococcus granulosus (dog tape worm) is a common parasitic disease in pastoral areas. It produces cysts in the human body. Human is an accidental intermediate host. Most common sites are liver and lungs. Intraperitoneal hydatid cyst occurs sometimes and it is usually secondary to rupture of primary hepatic hydatid cyst. Primary intraperitoneal hydatid cyst is rare (2%). Primary hydatid cyst in mesentery is very rare. Small bowel volvulus is rare but documented complication of tumours of the mesentery, including cysts. In this article, the authors present a case of primary mesenteric hydatid cyst with acute intestinal obstruction secondary to volvulus.

Intestinal rupture due to small bowel volvulus in a captive American black bear (Ursus americanus)

Intestinal rupture caused by small bowel volvulus was diagnosed in a captive 13-year-old male American black bear. The animal presented with decreased appetite, depression, lethargy, and mild abdominal distention for 3 days. The animal was treated with antibiotics, hypermetabolites, and digestive medicine daily; however, it died on the third day of treatment. The clinical symptoms included hemorrhagic ascites, gaseous extension of the small intestine, and intestinal rupture caused by small bowel volvulus. Hemorrhagic signs were observed in the lungs and heart. This is the first case to describe small bowel volvulus in mammals of the family Ursidae.

Small Bowel Volvulus in Adults: A case report

Small bowel volvulus in adults is very rare and occasionally occurs due to congenital midgut malrotation. The most common cause of small bowel volvulus is adhesions (74%), and other causes are Crohn's disease (7%), neoplasia (5%), hernia (2%), radiation (1%), and miscellaneous (11%). Presenting symptoms may be acute or present periodically during a longer period of time with a condition that is intermittent or recurrent because of spontaneous detorsion of the volvulus. Diagnostic imaging studies are plain abdominal film, ultrasonography, abdominal CT, and angiography. Abdominal CT is the most accurate. The most frequent CT finding is "Whirlpool sign." Other findings are bowel-loop dilatation, bowel-wall thickening, beak signs, mesenteric alterations, and extraluminal fluid. The mortality rate associated with small bowel volvulus in adults is 10~67%. We report a case of small bowel volvulus in adults.