Spontaneous cecal perforation in a 40-year-old pregnant woman treated by primary repair and omental patch: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous colonic perforations are scarce, and cecal perforations even more so. Preoperative diagnosis of the latter in a pregnant woman is particularly difficult because of physiologic changes and restrictions on some diagnostic imaging techniques, such as X-rays. Furthermore, management of these patients is a big challenge.

CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a spontaneous cecal perforation in a 40-year-old pregnant black woman in the Regional Hospital of Bafoussam in Cameroon. The results of clinical examination and ultrasonography on admission were in line with acute generalized peritonitis in a woman at 20 weeks of a viable pregnancy, indicating an urgent laparotomy. Operative findings were a 1 × 1-cm perforation on a distended cecum with minimal fecal contamination. The treatment consisted of excision of the edges, primary suture of the perforation, and omentoplasty. The recovery of the patient was uneventful.

CONCLUSIONS: The management of spontaneous cecal perforation in a pregnant woman was a big challenge. The perforation was repaired by primary suture and omentoplasty. Further studies comparing this approach with right hemicolectomy are recommended.