Idiopathic Omental Infarction : A Rare Cause of Acute Pain Abdomen

Abstract

Omental torsion leading on to omental infarction is an unusual cause of acute abdominal pain in adults. Often the condition mimics common causes of acute abdomen like acute cholecystitis, acute appendicitis or acute pancreatitis. A review of literature reveals that this enigmatic condition has been managed both non-operatively and by surgery in the past. We report the case of a 46-year-old man who presented with a 4-day history of severe right-sided abdominal pain mimicking acute cholecystitis. Abdominal CT scan revealed a right upper quadrant mass with a whirl-like appearance, suspicious for omental infarction. He was started on conservative management with analgesics and antibiotics. He improved symptomatically and was discharged.