Volvulus of the sigmoid in Khartoum, Sudan

Twenty-six cases of acute volvulus of the sigmoid in Khartoum Hospital are analysed. The condition accounts for 17.8 percent of all cases of acute intestinal obstruction. The majority of patients were from the Southern tribes whose diet contains a large amount of fibre. Of the different methods of surgical management simple operative detorsion and deflation gave the best results. The overall mortality rate was 23.1 percent.