Omental torsion, a rare cause of acute abdomen

Abstract

Omental torsion is a rare cause of acute abdominal pain. We report a case of omental torsion in a 7-year-old girl, who presented with right iliac fossa pain. The patient underwent an open appendicectomy, during which a normal appendix was identified and a diagnosis of omental torsion was made. The affected segment of omentum was resected along with the appendix. The patient made an uncomplicated recovery and was discharged on day 1 postoperatively. A normal appendix in the presence of omental torsion is found in 0.1% of all appendicectomies in children. We suggest routine visualisation of the omentum in the presence of a normal appendix during appendicectomy.