OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical characteristics,diagnosis and treatment of abdominal cocoon.

METHODSClinical data of 203 cases with abdominal cocoon including 7 cases in our hospital and 196 cases reported in Chinese literature from January 1995 to June 2005 were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSThe male to female ratio was approximately 1.2:1. The mean age at diagnosis was 33 years. The main clinical manifestations included recurrent acute or chronic intestinal obstruction in 147 cases (72.4%), abdominal mass in 53 cases (26.1%). Of the 203 cases, abdominal plain X-ray were performed in 163, B-ultrasound in 85, CT in 68 and barium meal in 32 cases, however, only 6 cases (3.0%) were diagnosed as abdominal cocoon preoperatively. All the cases received operations included partial or total excision of the membrane and enterolysis in 172 cases (84.7%), together with bowel resection in 34 cases (16.7%) and appendectomy in 51 cases (25.1%). Postoperative complications included recurrent obstruction in 55, and death in 11 cases (5.4%).

CONCLUSIONSThe preoperative diagnosis of abdominal cocoon is difficult. Operations should be performed on the cases with intestine obstruction. Recurrent adhesive intestinal obstruction is the main postoperative complication.