Adult intussusception: An institutional experience and review of literature

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> In adults, intussusceptions represent an uncommon form of intestinal obstruction, diagnosed in only 1-5% of cases. It can be idiopathic or secondary to a pathology in the bowel, which may be a malignancy in 9.75% of small bowel intussusceptions and 50-60% of large bowel intussusceptions. The aim of this study was to make a 15 year institutional review of adult intussusceptions.<br> <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Over a period of 15 years from January 1998 to December 2012, a total of 17 patients were diagnosed and managed as intussusceptions in our institution. A retrospective analysis of clinical, imaging and management data along with specimen and histopathological analysis was carried out.<br> <b>Results:</b> The age range was 21-58 years (mean 35 years) with a male preponderance (11 males: 6 females). Intussusceptions affected the small bowel in 12/17 (70.59%) and the large bowel in 5/17 (29.41%) of cases. The most common clinical presentation was insidious abdominal pain with sub-acute obstruction in 15/17 (88.24) of cases. Computed tomography scan was diagnostic in 88.23% cases. Intestinal tuberculosis (TB) was the most common etiology in 23.53% of the patients. Small bowel intussusceptions were not associated with malignancy, but all cases due to post-operative causes or TB affected small bowel only. Malignancy was responsible for intussusceptions only in the large bowel.<br> <b>Conclusions:</b> On analysis of our cases, we found that malignancy is responsible for intussusception only in the large bowel. Small bowel intussusceptions were not associated with malignancy, but all cases due to post-operative cause or TB affected small bowel only.