Open AccessSmall bowel volvulus as a complication of von Recklinghausen’s disease: A case report
Author(s) -
Thomás Werner,
F Kröpil,
Martin Olaf Schoppe,
Patric Kröpil,
Wolfram Trudo Knoefel,
Andreas Krieg
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v20.i24.7979
Subject(s) - medicine , mesentery , exploratory laparotomy , volvulus , neurofibromatosis , complication , laparotomy , bowel obstruction , ileum , disease , acute abdomen , surgery , abdomen , general surgery , gastroenterology , radiology
We report the case of a 25-year-old male with Neurofibromatosis type I (NF-1), who presented at the time of admission with clinical findings of an acute abdomen caused by a mechanical obstruction. Computerized tomography showed a volvulus of the terminal ileum with mesenteric swirling as the cause of the patient's symptoms. Consecutive exploratory laparotomy confirmed the diagnosis and 70 cm of the small intestine was resected due to an affection of the mesentery by multiple neurofibromas. The gastrointestinal tract is affected in approximately 10% of patients with NF-1, however the mesentery is almost always spared. Here we describe the unique case of a patient with a volvulus caused by mesenteric manifestation of von Recklinghausen's disease, emphasizing the role of surgery in a team of multidisciplinary specialists to treat this multiorganic disease.