摘要:Intussusception is a condition where a segment of bowel ‘telescopes’ into the lumen of the immediately adjacent part. A condition which is mostly idiopathic in children, less than 2 years but associated with some pathology in older patients. Among the pathologies that initiate the process of invagination, the most common ones are lymphomas, Meckel’s diverticulum, hamartomatous polyps, haemangiomas and inverted appendiceal stumps. Most cases occur in otherwise healthy male children and are commonly of ileo-colic type.
In idiopathic cases it is suggested that hypertrophy of the Payer’s patches in the terminal ileum from an antecedent viral infection acts as the starting point. Peristaltic action of the intestine then causes the bowel to prolapse into the lumen adjacent to it.
In contrast to the conservative approach by hydrostatic reduction in case of children less than 2 years, the definitive treatment for adult intussusception is operative intervention.