Laparoscopy: an excellent tool in the management of primary omental torsion in children.

Introduction: Primary omental torsion (POT) is an uncommon acute condition, often occurring in obese children. The clinical presentation usually mimics that of acute appendicitis, and preoperative radiologic imaging may not be helpful in the diagnosis. In this paper, we report our experience of using laparoscopy in diagnosing and treating POT in children. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of all cases of POT from 1998 to 2006 was performed. The efficacy and safety of using the laparoscope in the management of omental torsion was assessed. Results: There were 5 boys with a mean age of 8.8 years (range, 5–11) included in the study. The majority of the patients were overweight, and all presented with abdominal pain without other gastrointestinal symptoms. In all patients, there was marked localized tenderness at the right side but without rebound tenderness or guarding. Preoperative investigations did not help in the diagnosis in all cases. A laparoscopic examination was performed and, in all cas...