IDIOPATHIC SPONTANEOUS SEGMENTAL INFARCTION OF THE OMENTUM

THE OCCURRENCE of spontaneous idiopathic infarction of a segment of the greater omentum would appear to be extremely rare. A review of the surgical literature reveals only 17 previously reported authentic cases in which spontaneous infarction occurred without evidence of other contributory intraperitoneal pathologic changes. This condition is not to be confused with primary torsion of the omentum or with strangulation or torsion of the omentum due to herniation or adhesions. The first authentic case report is generally accredited to Johnson, who reported a case in 1932, although his case was complicated by the fact that the tip of the omentum was adherent to a scar resulting from a previous herniorrhaphy. Pines and Rabinovitch reported six cases in 1940, and Joss and Pratt in 1946 reported a personal case in addition to the 12 cases which they could find in the literature. Seley in 1951 reports a case, stating that