Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: Management of acute abdomen usually does not necessitate accurate pre-operative diagnosis but the surgeon should make a decision about the need for emergent laparotomy. This fact is somehow different for localized peritonitis (e.g. acute appendicitis) in which the clinical presentation directs straightly to the diagnosis. However, acute appendicitis has lots of differential diagnoses, finding the normal appendix during laparotomy is just a start point to look for other diagnoses. Omental torsion is a rare cause for acute abdomen that is usually missed. Knowing about this rare condition and its frequently encountered presentation at the operating room (sero-sanguinous fluid coming out of peritoneal cavity) may prevent missing the diagnosis and doing a malpractice.
Case report: Report a 9 year- old boy presented with acute abdomen which turned out to be an omental torsion after the operation.
Conclusion: Knowledge about this rare condition "omental torsion" and its clinical and intra operative presentations may prevent missing the diagnosis and a malpractice.