Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 May;21(2):106-13.
doi: 10.1055/s-2008-1075859.

Intestinal intussusception

Susan M Cera  1
Affiliations

Intestinal intussusception

Susan M Cera. Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2008 May.

Abstract

Intussusception is defined as the invagination of one portion of the bowel into an immediately adjacent portion. Etiology, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment are different in the pediatric and adult populations. In the pediatric population, most cases are idiopathic and result in the common scenario of ileocolic intussusception. Factors involved in causation include anatomic features of the developing gastrointestinal tract and infectious influences. In adults, the intussusceptum is typically the result of a mucosal, intramural, or extrinsic lead point that acts as a focal area of traction pulling the proximal portion of bowel into the peristalsing distal portion. The diagnosis and management in the pediatric population is relatively standardized with nonoperative reduction via air or contrast enemas attempted first. In the adult population, intussusception presents a preoperative diagnostic challenge; although surgical intervention is mandatory, intraoperative management remains controversial.

Keywords: Intussusception; intestinal obstruction.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Lloyd D A, Kenny S E. In: Walker WA, Goulet O, Kleinman RE et al, editor. Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 4th ed. Ontario, Canada: BC Decker; 2004. The surgical abdomen. p. 604.
    1. Begos D G, Sandor A, Modlin I M. The diagnosis and management of adult intussusception. Am J Surg. 1997;173(2):88–94. - PubMed
    1. Scheye Th, Dechelotte P, Tanguy A, Dalens B, Vanneuville G, Chazai J. Anatomical and histological study of the ileocecal valve: possible correlations with the pathogenesis of idiopathic intussusception in infants. Surg Radiol Anat. 1983;5(2):83–92.
    1. Buettcher M, Baer G, Bonhoeffer J, et al. Three-year surveillance of intussusception in children in Switzerland. Pediatrics. 2007;120:473–480. - PubMed
    1. Andrews N, Miller E, Waight P, et al. Does oral polio vaccine cause intussusceptions in infants? Evidence from a sequence of three self-controlled cases series studies in the United Kingdom. Eur J Epidemiol. 2001;17(8):701–706. - PubMed