An Unusual Case of Acute Dyspnoea: Acute Intrathoracic Gastric Volvulus with Probable Tension Gastrothorax

  • Jean Bosco Masabarakiza Service des Urgences, CHU Sart-Tilman, Liège, Belgium
  • Lingna Zhu Service des Urgences, CHU Sart-Tilman, Liège, Belgium
  • Yilmaz Gorur Service de Radiologie, Clinique André Renard, Herstal, Belgium
  • Benoît Cardos Service des Urgences, Clinique André Renard, Herstal, Belgium
  • Noel Lorenzo-Villalba Service de Médecine Interne, Diabète et Maladies Métaboliques, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, France
  • Deeba Ali Service des Urgences, CHC MontLégia, Liège, Belgium
  • Lena Andriollo Rédactrice et correctrice de textes, Liège – Montréal, Belgique – Canada
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12890/2021_002818

Keywords

Volvulus gastric, hiatal hernia, gastrothorax

Abstract

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

    How to cite:
    1.
    Masabarakiza JB, Zhu L, Gorur Y, Cardos B, Lorenzo-Villalba N, Ali D, Andriollo L. An Unusual Case of Acute Dyspnoea: Acute Intrathoracic Gastric Volvulus with Probable Tension Gastrothorax. EJCRIM 2021;8 doi:10.12890/2021_002818.

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