Caecal volvulus

Caecal volvulus. A caecal volvulus is an uncommon cause of bowel obstruction (around 1% of cases), but is important to recognize as it can progress to bowel ischaemia and death. In most people, the caecum is fixed to the retroperitoneum, however in some people it has a peritoneal mesentery which can allow it to twist; torsion of this mesentery can result in massive dilatation of the caecum as in this example. It looks a little like a sigmoid volvulus, however it is not arising from the pelvis and you can see normal sigmoid colon on this radiograph.