Sigmoid volvulus in Kaduna, Nigeria

Worldwide regional variations exist in the incidence of sigmoid volvulus. This article describes the experience with sigmoid volvulus at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Kaduna, Nigeria. Sixty of 121 patients who had large-bowel obstruction over a 15-year period had sigmoid volvulus. Fifty-seven (95 percent) had gangrenous bowel. The mortality rate was 16.7 percent. The clinical presentation and the treatment modalities offered are discussed.