A Case Report of a Pregnancy Complicated by Sigmoid Volvulus in the Extreme Preterm Gestational Age

Abstract

Intestinal obstruction is a rare but life-threatening incidence in pregnancy. Diagnosis can be challenging for clinicians as the symptoms might be approached as other common obstetric complications. Performing radiological and abdominal surgery are also areas of great concern in this field; since radiologic studies inevitably expose the fetus to radiation and the treatment options mostly involve surgery that is worrisome during gestation. The maternal and fetal outcomes are dependent on timely diagnosis and management; as intestinal perforation, necrosis and peritonitis can happen and lead to fetal or maternal mortality or morbidity. In this study, we present a challenging case of a 36-year-old pregnant woman with severe abdominal pain and distension that emergently underwent surgery after the diagnosis of sigmoid volvulus without the gestation being discontinued. To our knowledge, our study presents one of the rarest cases of intestinal obstruction during pregnancy that was managed surgically without pregnancy termination. Further we will discuss intestinal obstruction in pregnancy based the current literature.