Current Research on Abdominal Cocoon Syndrome: Two Cases of an Anatomical Abnormality | Chapter 15 | Innovations in Medicine and Medical Research Vol. 2
Introduction: Idiopathic sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis or abdominal cocoon syndrome (ACS) is a rare anatomical deformity characterized by the partial or complete encasement of the small intestine with fibrotic peritoneum. 193 incidents have been described worldwide. The aim of this study was to present two ACS cases successfully treated at the Surgical Clinic of the Agios Dimitrios General Hospital in Thessaloniki, Greece. Presentation of Cases: Two men (55 and 54 years old) presented to the emergency department complaining of abdominal pain, distension, constipation, nausea, and vomiting. Neither of these patients had surgical histories. The computed tomography of the first patient showed considerable distension of the small bowel, suggestive of an internal hernia. The second case showed distention of the jejunum with no obvious cause. Both patients underwent emergency surgery. Intraoperatively, we found that a fibrous membrane had completely covered the small intestine of the...