An Unusual Case of Acute Dyspnoea: Acute Intrathoracic Gastric Volvulus with Probable Tension Gastrothorax
Keywords
Volvulus gastric, hiatal hernia, gastrothoraxAbstract
Acute gastric volvulus is a rare complication affecting 4% of hiatal hernias. It is described as an abnormal rotation of the stomach around a transverse or longitudinal axis and can be intra-abdominal or intrathoracic. Intrathoracic gastric volvulus can lead to tension gastrothorax, which is defined as the presence of a massive gastric distension in the chest cavity causing a mediastinal shift with haemodynamic instability and a risk of cardiorespiratory arrest. We report a case of intrathoracic gastric volvulus with probable tension gastrothorax. Early diagnosis of gastrothorax with computed tomography and immediate insertion of a nasogastric tube resulted in rapid clinical improvement. Surgical intervention is the treatment of choice.
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Published: 2021-10-06
Issue: 2021: Vol 8 No 10 (view)
Section: Articles