volvulus /vol″vyələs/ [L, volvere, to turn] , a twisting of the bowel on itself, causing intestinal obstruction. The condition is frequently the result of a prolapsed segment of mesentery and occurs most often in the ileum, the cecum, or the sigmoid parts of the bowel. If it is not corrected, the obstructed bowel becomes necrotic, peritonitis and rupture of the bowel occur, and death may ensue. Severe gripping pain, nausea and vomiting, an absence of bowel sounds, and a tense distended abdomen suggest the diagnosis, which is confirmed by x-ray examination. Compare intussusception.
