[Primary volvulus of the small intestine without malrotation. Apropos of 7 cases].

We report seven cases of complete volvulus of the small bowel without malrotation seen from 1973 through 1986. The clinical setting is always the same in this condition: the infant exhibits no clinical anomalies during the symptom-free interval between birth and the volvulus (4 h to 35 d, m = 7 d in our series). Onset is extremely sudden, with a complete, proximal obstruction, early and abundant passage of blood per rectum, and above all a severe shock that fails to respond to resuscitation. Roentgenograms contribute little to the diagnosis and surgery should never be delayed to perform complementary investigations of any kind. Indeed, the only effective treatment is unwinding the volvulus within the first six hours following onset, for beyond that time irreversible necrosis of the entire small bowel and occasionally colon occurs. Five infants died because they were seen too late and operated on 36 hours on average after the onset of symptoms. The two survivors had an early operation that prevented total necrosis of the small bowel. However, this pattern seems to vary according to the degree of cecum anchorage: a fixed cecum results in a very tight volvulus with complete, early ischemia and usually irreversible necrosis of the small bowel beyond the sixth hour (9/9 published cases); an even slightly mobile cecum results in a looser volvulus, with less severe ischemia, more delayed necrosis, and a possibility of complete recovery (5/6 published cases).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)