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Case Reports
. 2012 Jun 30;2(2):43-47.
doi: 10.4322/acr.2012.016. eCollection 2012 Apr-Jun.

Segmental omental infarction: an unusual cause of acute abdomen

José de Arimatéia Batista Araújo  1 , João Augusto Dos Santos Martines  2 , Brenda Margatho Ramos Martines  2 , Rodrigo Montenegro Lourenção  3 , Lorena Elaine Amorim Pinto  1 , Cláudio Campi de Castro  2   4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Segmental omental infarction: an unusual cause of acute abdomen

José de Arimatéia Batista Araújo et al. Autops Case Rep. .

Abstract

Omental infarction is a rare cause of acute abdominal pain, and the cause of omental infarction itself remains unknown. The diagnosis of omental infarction is occasionally made intra-operatively, because it is poorly known and presents no specific clinical features. Therefore omental infarction should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of abdominal inflammatory processes, mainly those affecting the right lower quadrant. The increasing use of computed tomography in cases of acute abdomen has facilitated the diagnosis of omental infarction in the pre-operative period. Here, we present the case of a 36-year-old, overweight female patient with clinical symptoms of acute abdomen. Computed tomography of the abdomen revealed indications of omental infarction. The patient was treated conservatively with analgesics and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory. The clinical evolution was favorable.

Keywords: Abdomen, Acute; Infarction; Omentum; Tomography; X-Ray computed.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. - Axial computed tomography of the abdomen with oral contrast media, showing a heterogeneous mass permeated by streaks of low attenuation in the right lower quadrant (white arrows), between the abdominal wall and the small bowel, to the wall of the colon. Note the preserved caliber of the appendix.
Figure 2
Figure 2. - MDCT of the abdomen, sagittal reformatted image showing displacement of the small bowel by the mass.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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