CT facilitates improved diagnosis of adult intestinal malrotation: a 7-year retrospective study based on 332 cases

OBJECTIVE: To classify adult intestinal malrotation by CT. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled adults diagnosed with intestinal malrotation who underwent abdominal CT at our institution between June 1, 2013, and August 30, 2020. All patients’ clinical information was recorded. Patients were divided into groups undergoing surgical and conservative management. The duodenum (nonrotation, partial rotation, and malrotation), jejunum, cecum, and the superior mesenteric artery/superior mesenteric vein relationship were reviewed on the CT images of each patient, and classification criteria developed based on the first three items. For each patient, each item was assessed separately by three radiologists. Consensus was required from at least two of them. RESULTS: A total of 332 eligible patients (218 men and 114 women; mean age 51.0 ± 15.3 years) were ultimately included and classified into ten types of malrotation. Duodenal partial rotation was present in most (73.2%, 243/332) with only 25% (83/332) demonstrating nonrotation. The jejunum was located in the right abdomen in 98.2% (326/332) of cases, and an ectopic cecum was found in only 12% (40/332, 29 cases with a left cecum, 7 pelvic, and 4 at midline). Asymptomatic patients comprised 56.6% (188/332) of cases, much higher than that in previous studies (17%, n = 82, p < .001), comprised mainly of patients with duodenal partial rotation (80.3%, 151/188). In 91 patients with detailed clinical data available (12 managed surgically and 79 conservatively), a significant difference in malrotation CT categorization was identified (p = .016). CONCLUSIONS: CT enables greater detection of asymptomatic intestinal malrotation, enabling classification into multiple potentially clinically relevant subtypes. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13244-021-00999-3.