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Case Reports
. 2022 Nov 7:10:2050313X221135982.
doi: 10.1177/2050313X221135982. eCollection 2022.

Spontaneous omental infarction: A rare case of acute abdomen

Duminda Subasinghe  1   2 , Ravindri Jayasinghe  1 , Gayani Ranaweera  3 , Uditha Kodithuwakku  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Spontaneous omental infarction: A rare case of acute abdomen

Duminda Subasinghe et al. SAGE Open Med Case Rep. .

Abstract

Omental infarction is a rare but a sinister cause of acute abdomen. Preoperative diagnosis is challenging due to its rare nature. It poses nonspecific abdominal signs that can be easily mistaken with other more common intra-abdominal pathologies. We report a case of a 37-year-old male patient presented with right lower quadrant abdominal pain with an elevation of inflammatory markers. His cross-sectional imaging did not a reveal specific diagnosis; therefore, a diagnostic laparoscopy was performed which revealed a non-inflamed appendix and an inflammatory mass formed by the ischemic omentum attached to the ascending colon. Diagnostic laparoscopy and subsequent laparotomy revealed spontaneous omental infarction. The histology of the resected specimen was in keeping with the omental necrosis. This case reflects the importance of considering omental infarction in patients presenting with abdominal pain and raised inflammatory markers. He made an uneventful recovery following surgery.

Keywords: Acute abdomen; spontaneous omental infarction.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
CT abdomen showing thickened area adjacent to right colon with fat stranding. (a) Coronal view, (b) Axial view.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Laparoscopic images showing necrotic omental mass with inflamed peritoneum over anterior abdominal wall.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Necrotic segment of omentum.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Lobules of omental fat showing areas of necrosis. H&E × 40.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Areas of fat necrosis. H&E × 100.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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