A case report reveals recurrent sigmoid volvulus in a young female with ulcerative colitis, suggesting an inflammatory link.
Sigmoid volvulus (SV) is extremely rare in young patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). We report a 20-year-old female with UC presenting with recurrent SV without traditional risk factors. Computed tomography (CT) confirmed the diagnosis with a "whirl sign." The patient underwent definitive robotic-assisted anterior resection with inferior mesenteric vessel preservation. Notably, the site of torsion corresponded to the segment most severely affected by UC, suggesting a localized inflammatory mechanism contributing to volvulus formation. This case highlights a potential pathophysiological link between chronic inflammation and colonic torsion, possibly involving neuroinflammatory changes. Clinicians should consider recurrent SV in young UC patients as a potential indicator of segmental motility dysfunction and evaluate the need for definitive surgical management.
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Huang et al. (2026) studied this question.
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