[Volvulus of the transverse colon: a rare cause of intestinal obstruction]

Volvulus of the transverse colon is rare, given its short and fixed mesentery and the normal fixation of the hepatic and splenic flexures of the colon. The case reported herein brings the total of reported cases to 72. Various predisposing factors have been identified, most notably congenital abnormalities, physiologic disturbances and mechanical obstruction; in our case these three factors were present. The possible role of colonoscopy in diagnosis and/or therapy is unclear. In our patient, colonoscopy proved to be of no use for diagnosis or treatment.