Cecal bascule is a cause of

large bowel obstruction Bowel obstruction, also known as intestinal obstruction, is a mechanical or functional obstruction of the intestines which prevents the normal movement of the products of digestion. Either the small bowel or large bowel may be affected. Signs an ...

where there is folding of the

cecum The cecum or caecum is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix, to which it is joined). The w ...

anteriorly over the

ascending colon ''Ascending'' is a science fiction novel by the Canadian writer James Alan Gardner, published in 2001 by HarperCollins Publishers under its various imprints.HarperCollins, Avon, HarperCollins Canada, SFBC/Avon; paperback edition 2001, Eos Books. ...

. It is one of two types of cecal

volvulus A volvulus is when a loop of intestine twists around itself and the mesentery that supports it, resulting in a bowel obstruction. Symptoms include abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, vomiting, constipation, and bloody stool. Onset of symptoms m ...

, the other being axial ileocolic. It is caused by rotational torsion of the cecum or ascending colon along its own axis. In cecal bascule, the base of the cecum folds anteriorly over the ascending colon, creating a flap-valve, obstructing emptying of the cecum. The condition can be complicated by

necrosis Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, or trauma which result in the unregulated dig ...

or organ perforation before the diagnosis is made, particularly if the

ileocecal valve The ileocecal valve (ileal papilla, ileocaecal valve, Tulp's valve, Tulpius valve, Bauhin's valve, ileocecal eminence, valve of Varolius or colic valve) is a sphincter muscle valve that separates the small intestine and the large intestine. Its ...

is competent, preventing retrograde decompression of the cecum into the

ileum The ileum () is the final section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear and the terms posterior intestine or distal intestine m ...

.{{Cite journal , last1 = Pousada , first1 = L. , title = Cecal bascule: An overlooked diagnosis in the elderly , journal = Journal of the American Geriatrics Society , volume = 40 , issue = 1 , pages = 65–67 , year = 1992 , pmid = 1727851 , doi = 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1992.tb01832.x

References

Gastroenterology