Acute Abdomen and Perforated Bowel with a Rare Pathology: Nonfamilial Visceral Myopathy

Visceral myopathy is a rare chronic disease affecting the peristalsis of the bowel causing intermittent pseudoobstruction. We report an atypical case of an eighty-nine-year-old woman with no prior history of abdominal illness who was admitted to our hospital with 2 days of increasing nausea, abdomin...

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Main Authors: Jakob Burcharth, Caroline Olsen, Jacob Rosenberg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2011-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Surgery
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/645349
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author Jakob Burcharth
Caroline Olsen
Jacob Rosenberg
author_facet Jakob Burcharth
Caroline Olsen
Jacob Rosenberg
author_sort Jakob Burcharth
collection DOAJ
description Visceral myopathy is a rare chronic disease affecting the peristalsis of the bowel causing intermittent pseudoobstruction. We report an atypical case of an eighty-nine-year-old woman with no prior history of abdominal illness who was admitted to our hospital with 2 days of increasing nausea, abdominal distension, and abdominal pain. On arrival at the hospital, she was critically ill. Abdominal X-ray showed distended loops of the colon and liquid levels resembling colonic obstruction. A subsequent abdominal CT scan confirmed the colonic obstruction. A suspicion of sigmoid volvulus was raised, that is why a barium enema was performed but no lower colonic obstruction could be confirmed. Acute laparotomy showed perforated cecum without intestinal obstruction. Postoperatively, the patient became septic which was fatal for the patient. Pathology gave the diagnosis visceral myopathy. It is very difficult to make the diagnosis clinically and radiologically since visceral myopathy mimics other more common gastrointestinal diseases. It is important to consider visceral myopathy as a possible diagnosis in cases with recurrent episodes of abdominal pain, vomiting, and abdominal distension, but without actual intestinal obstruction.
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spelling doaj-art-e471d8a0e43f424ea4ac9d097ba653bf2025-08-20T02:21:34ZengWileyCase Reports in Surgery2090-69002090-69192011-01-01201110.1155/2011/645349645349Acute Abdomen and Perforated Bowel with a Rare Pathology: Nonfamilial Visceral MyopathyJakob Burcharth0Caroline Olsen1Jacob Rosenberg2Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Herlev Ringvej 75, 2730 Herlev, DenmarkDepartment of Pathology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Herlev Ringvej 75, 2730 Herlev, DenmarkDepartment of Surgical Gastroenterology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Herlev Ringvej 75, 2730 Herlev, DenmarkVisceral myopathy is a rare chronic disease affecting the peristalsis of the bowel causing intermittent pseudoobstruction. We report an atypical case of an eighty-nine-year-old woman with no prior history of abdominal illness who was admitted to our hospital with 2 days of increasing nausea, abdominal distension, and abdominal pain. On arrival at the hospital, she was critically ill. Abdominal X-ray showed distended loops of the colon and liquid levels resembling colonic obstruction. A subsequent abdominal CT scan confirmed the colonic obstruction. A suspicion of sigmoid volvulus was raised, that is why a barium enema was performed but no lower colonic obstruction could be confirmed. Acute laparotomy showed perforated cecum without intestinal obstruction. Postoperatively, the patient became septic which was fatal for the patient. Pathology gave the diagnosis visceral myopathy. It is very difficult to make the diagnosis clinically and radiologically since visceral myopathy mimics other more common gastrointestinal diseases. It is important to consider visceral myopathy as a possible diagnosis in cases with recurrent episodes of abdominal pain, vomiting, and abdominal distension, but without actual intestinal obstruction.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/645349
spellingShingle Jakob Burcharth
Caroline Olsen
Jacob Rosenberg
Acute Abdomen and Perforated Bowel with a Rare Pathology: Nonfamilial Visceral Myopathy
Case Reports in Surgery
title Acute Abdomen and Perforated Bowel with a Rare Pathology: Nonfamilial Visceral Myopathy
title_full Acute Abdomen and Perforated Bowel with a Rare Pathology: Nonfamilial Visceral Myopathy
title_fullStr Acute Abdomen and Perforated Bowel with a Rare Pathology: Nonfamilial Visceral Myopathy
title_full_unstemmed Acute Abdomen and Perforated Bowel with a Rare Pathology: Nonfamilial Visceral Myopathy
title_short Acute Abdomen and Perforated Bowel with a Rare Pathology: Nonfamilial Visceral Myopathy
title_sort acute abdomen and perforated bowel with a rare pathology nonfamilial visceral myopathy
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/645349
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