[Diagnostic challenges of a 360° gastric dilatation volvulus in a dog: a case report]

An 8-year-old mixed-breed female dog was presented as an emergency case due to acutely occurring questionable vomiting, a tense abdomen and restlessness. Initial abdominal radiographs suggested a gastric dilatation. On the abdominal radiographs, no typical compartmentalization of the stomach was visible, and the pylorus appeared to be in a physiological position in the ventrodorsal view, making it difficult to differentiate the condition from a simple gastric dilatation. As the patient did not respond to stabilization measures and the stomach re-distended after gastrocentesis, a 360° gastric volvulus was suspected and subsequently confirmed intraoperatively. Due to complete necrosis of the gastric wall, the dog was euthanized.This case report aims to demonstrate that additional, less obvious radiographic features - such as marked gastric distension, esophageal distension, absence of small intestinal dilation, and a more central pyloric position - may provide important diagnostic clues when evaluating a 360° gastric torsion.