The Unusual Suspect: An Acute Gastric Dilation With Volvulus in a Scleroderma Patient

Abstract

Systemic scleroderma (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that can affect various organ systems. About 90% of patients with SSc have gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations, with esophageal dysmotility being the most frequently reported. While esophageal involvement is the most common, other segments of the upper GI tract can be affected as well, such as the stomach or small bowel. Some of the examples of gastric involvement include gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) and gastroparesis. Small bowel involvement can present with reduced contractility, pseudo-obstruction, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and atrophy. Although many of these manifestations bear little clinical urgency, acute gastric dilation or pseudo-obstruction constitute a medical emergency and require prompt intervention. We are presenting a case of acute gastric dilation with gastric volvulus in the setting of SSc, which is not well reported in the medical literature. We hope to increase providers' awareness of this rare manifestation of SSc to facilitate prompt diagnosis and intervention. Furthermore, we hope to prompt more research to be done to better understand its pathophysiology and determine whether this manifestation of SSc is preventable.