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Whirlpool sign (mesentery)

Last revised by Tariq Walizai on 29 Sep 2024

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Gaillard F, Walizai T, Amer M, et al. Whirlpool sign (mesentery). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 06 Oct 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-8491

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-8491

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/8491

rID:

8491

Article created:

5 Feb 2010, Frank Gaillard ◉ ◈

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Frank Gaillard had no recorded disclosures.

View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures

Last revised:

29 Sep 2024, Tariq Walizai

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Tariq Walizai had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.

View Tariq Walizai's current disclosures

Revisions:

40 times, by 23 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Gastrointestinal, Gynaecology

Sections:

Signs

Tags:

small bowel, mesentery, caecum

Synonyms:

Whirl sign - mesenteric
Whirl sign - bowel

The whirlpool sign of the mesentery, also known as the whirl sign, is seen when the bowel rotates around its mesentery leading to whirls of the mesenteric vessels.

Terminology

The term whirlpool sign is used in other contexts: see whirlpool sign (disambiguation).

Radiographic features

It is seen in a number of settings:

malrotation complicated by midgut volvulus
- it represents the swirling appearance of the mesentery and superior mesenteric vein around the superior mesenteric artery. The direction of swirl is clockwise on ultrasound (viewed from above so-to-speak) and counter-clockwise on CT (as if viewed from below)
- it is the corollary of the corkscrew sign seen on barium studies.
cecal volvulus and cecal bascule
- cecal volvulus and cecal bascule can have the same appearance, with whirl occurring in the cecal mesentery
sigmoid volvulus ⁶
closed loop bowel obstruction ⁵
enteritis: similar pattern, but in the opposite direction has been described on ultrasound ³
omental torsion ⁷

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