Uncommon Etiologies of Acute Abdominal Pain: A Case Report on Omental Infarction

TL;DR

This case report describes a rare cause of abdominal pain, omental infarction, and highlights the importance of imaging for accurate diagnosis and non-surgical treatment.

Contribution

The paper presents a case emphasizing the diagnostic challenges and conservative management of omental infarction.

Findings

CT scans were crucial in diagnosing omental infarction in a patient with atypical symptoms.

Conservative management led to symptom resolution within three days.

Non-surgical treatment is effective and avoids unnecessary interventions.

Abstract

Omental infarction is an uncommon cause of abdominal pain. The condition is often misdiagnosed due to its clinical similarity to more common abdominal pathologies like appendicitis and cholecystitis. This report presents the case of a 57-year-old female with a one-week history of left-sided abdominal pain, initially aggravated by eating and defecation. The patient, a long-term smoker with a complex medical history that includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, was hemodynamically stable on presentation. A CT scan revealed a nodular infiltration consistent with an omental infarct. Conservative management was pursued, resulting in symptom resolution by the third day of hospitalization.

This case underscores the diagnostic challenges associated with omental infarction, particularly its differentiation from other causes of acute abdominal pain. It highlights the importance of considering rare etiologies in patients with atypical presentations and emphasizes the role of imaging, particularly CT scans, in accurate diagnosis. The patient's successful conservative management aligns with current recommendations, which advocate for non-surgical treatment in most cases. This approach avoids unnecessary surgical interventions and ensures a favorable prognosis with low complication rates in patients with prompt and appropriate management.

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