Volvulus of the transverse colon in a child swallower of air: one case report with review of the literature.

Abstract

The volvulus of the transverse colon is an extremely rare cause of intestinal obstruction among children. It is frequently associated with a particular medical history; neurological or psychiatric disease. We report a case of volvulus of the transverse colon in an air swallowing child with a review of the literature. A 10-year-old child with a history of behavioral disorder was hospitalized for intestinal occlusion. Radiological investigations confirmed the occlusion without being able to specify the etiology. Surgical exploration confirmed the diagnosis of the transverse colon volvulus Page 72 Mauritanie Médicale - Novembre 2018 ; 2, Vol1 : 072 - 076 Revue scientifique de la Faculté de Médecine de Nouakchott which was complicated by necrosis. A colic resection and a colostomy were performed. During the post-operative period, it was noted that the child swallows air and the etiological assessment of abdominal bloating was normal. So, it was concluded that the cause of the bloating was an air-swallowing syndrome and therefore a gastrostomy button was placed in order to evacuate the air swallowed by the child with an eventful evolution. The transverse colon volvulus and air-swallowing syndrom are extremely rare among children. Nevertheless, the association of both diseases deserves to be known in order to have a better treatment.