Intussusception causing bowel obstruction in a child due to ectopic pancreas: A rare case report and literature review

Abstract

Introduction: Ectopic pancreas is a congenital anomaly in which the pancreatic tissue is located abnormally, lacking anatomical continuity with the main pancreas. This is not an uncommon anomaly, however the preoperative diagnosis is difficult and the majority of cases are diagnosed histologically after surgery. Ectopic pancreas is commonly found in the upper gastrointestinal tract (including stomach, duodenum and jejunum); rarer in the ileum. The main symptoms of ectopic pancreas in children include gastrointestinal bleeding, vomiting, recurrent abdominal pain, and intussusception. In this article, we report a case of a 4-year-old girl who was diagnosed with ectopic pancreas causing intussusception complicated by bowel obstruction. The patient was treated by laparotomy and recovered uneventfully. Case report: 4-year-old girl with a history of recurrent intussusception admitted with abdominal pain and vomiting. Abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography showed an intussusception complicated by bowel obstruction. The child underwent laparotomy with segmental intestinal resection and was diagnosed with intussusception due to ectopic pancreatic tissue in the ileal wall based on histopathological findings. After surgery, the child recovered uneventfully. Conclusion: Ectopic pancreas is common in the gastrointestinal tract, difficult to diagnose by imaging modalities. Most of cases are diagnosed histologically after sugery. Imaging methods, particularly abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography, play an important role in diagnosing the complications of ectopic pancreas such as intussusception and bowel obstruction. Key words: ectopic pancreas, recurrent intussusception, bowel obstruction