SEGMENTAL INFARCTION OF OMENTUM: A CASE REPORT

Primary or spontaneous infarction of omentum is a rare disease producing acute abdominal condition. This is due to vascular changes in circulation of greater omentum. Infarction can be caused by torsion of omentum around the adhesion band following an operation, or it can occur spontaneously without an adhesion and operation. Rarely this condition is not due to torsion and is spontaneous without any visible cause at operation. In either cases the signs and symptoms of an acute abdomen is produced. Our case was an idiopathic segmental infarction of omentum which is much rare compared with 2 other causes of omental infarction. Less than 150 cases of idiopathic segmental infarction of omentum has been reported after its first presentation in almost 100 years ago. The importance of this disease is in differential diagnosis of acute appendecitis which is indistinguishable before surgery. At laparotomy the appendix is normal and variable amounts of serosanguinous fluid is present in peritoneal cavity and a segment of greater omentum is infarcted. Our case was a 37-year-old overweight male with a spontaneous segmental infarction of greater omentum. Suggested surgical treatment is appendectomy and resection of the necrotic segment of omentum.