Omental cake?

Omental cake describes the presence of infiltrative material in the epiploic fat. Ovarian carcinoma is the malignant process classically associated with omental cakes; however, there are multiple malignant neoplasms that can lead to its development. Similarly, acute or chronic inflammatory and infectious processes can lead to this condition. In fact, while the presence of omental cake always implies the need to rule out malignancy, these other etiologies are more common in the pediatric age group. The clinical presentation of epiploic infiltration is usually nonspecific, regardless of the etiology. Described cases often present with poorly localized abdominal pain that has been present for days or weeks. Omental cake, essentially, is a radiological sign; therefore, its diagnosis involves performing one or more imaging tests. The gold standard is computed tomography (CT). Ultrasound is a good alternative to CT as an initial test, especially in children, where neoplastic causes of omental cake are rare. If the cause of omental cake is uncertain, a histopathological examination of a peritoneal tissue sample is necessary. Finally, the treatment for omental cake depends on the etiology. In general, the presence of this radiological sign within a neoplastic disease implies worse outcomes. Conversely, in infectious processes, targeted treatment aiming to eradicate the implicated pathogen can lead to a favorable clinical course.

Keywords: Omentum. Campylobacter jejuni. Ultrasonography.