Sigmoid volvulus in a teenager

Abstract

Sigmoid volvulus in the pediatric population is a rare condition. In the adult population, it is considered in the differential diagnosis of bowel obstruction for patients with a history of debilitation or chronic constipation, in association with diseases like Hirschsprung or Chagas, and seems to have regionally higher incidence in Asia, Africa and South America, and high-altitude locations. The index of suspicion for sigmoid volvulus in a healthy child is low. We present the rare case of a 16-year-old otherwise healthy male who presented with abdominal pain and was found to have sigmoid volvulus. The patient underwent emergent endoscopic detorsion followed by rectal biopsy during the same hospitalization and, one month later, laparoscopic single-site sigmoid colectomy on elective basis.