Nonrotation anomaly of the bowel causing acute intestinal obstruction in adults. A report of two cases

Two cases of acute intestinal obstruction in adults caused by a nonrotation anomaly of the bowel are presented. Both of the patients had suffered since childhood from chronic, recurrent but rather mild abdominal symptoms which subsided spontaneously. In both cases volvulus of the cecum caused the acute abdominal condition, necessitating emergency operation. The nonrotation anomaly was an unsuspected discovery at laparotomy. The possibility of this type of congenital anomaly should be kept in mind whenever a patient has chronic recurrent abdominal symptoms or an acute abdominal condition.