Idiopathic segmental infarction of the greater omentum

Infarction of the greater omentum. Elusive cause of acute abdominal pain

Omental infarction may be much more common than the number of cases reported in the literature would imply. The condition should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain. A thorough search for it should be made in patients whose findings at laparotomy are not consistent with the preoperative diagnosis (usually acute appendicitis), especially when serosanguineous fluid is found in the peritoneal cavity. Treatment is excision of infarcted omentum to prevent formation of adhesions with obstructive and septic complications.

Idiopathic segmental infarction of the greater omentum. Report of a case mimicking appendicitis

Idiopathic segmental infarction of the greater omentum seldom enters into the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain, and diagnosis is usually not made until laparotomy. A preoperative clue to the diagnosis may be the lack of systemic gastrointestinal symptoms in the presence of impressive abdominal findings. Intraoperative clues are serosanguineous peritoneal fluid but normal appendix, distal small bowel, and mesentery. In this setting, careful examination of the omentum through the initial incision is recommended. Once identified, the infarcted omentum should be completely excised to prevent formation of adhesions and possible sepsis. In the case reported here, the serendipitous discovery of edematous omentum prompted a thorough--but technically difficult--exploration of the greater omentum, which eventually led to the correct diagnosis.

Infarction of the greater omentum

Infarction of the greater omentum is an uncommon entity in children. The etiology of this disease is unknown. It is difficult to differentiate this condition from acute appendicitis in children. Two cases from the pediatric age group are reported.