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Case Reports: Unusual presentation of more common disease/injury
Omental infarction in an overweight child: conservative treatment is a safe approach
  1. Ashok Aralihond1,
  2. Roona Aniapravan1,
  3. Ibtihal Abdelgadir1 and
  4. Colin Powell2
  1. 1Emergency Department, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
  2. 2Emergency Department, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Ashok Aralihond; drashokpa{at}gmail.com

Abstract

A previously healthy but overweight (body mass index (BMI) of 24.4) adolescent boy presented with fever and significant right-sided abdominal pain. An abdominal ultrasound scan revealed an omental infarction (OI), which was treated conservatively. OI has been described in overweight teenage children with abdominal trauma but can be missed if not considered. A missed diagnosis could result in an unnecessary laparotomy or laparoscopic surgery. Although CT is the gold standard for diagnosis, ultrasonography is an effective approach to identifying OI in children. The benefits of early diagnosis of OI by abdominal ultrasound include a shorter hospital stay and a reduction in unnecessary investigations and surgery.

  • Paediatrics (drugs and medicines)
  • Emergency medicine
  • Trauma

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2023-256232

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors The following authors were responsible for drafting of the text, sourcing and editing of clinical images, investigation results, drawing original diagrams and algorithms, and critical revision for important intellectual content: AA, RA, IA and CP. The following authors gave their final approval of the manuscript: AA, RA, IA and CP.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.