INTUSSUSCEPTION

INTUSSUSCEPTION

 Is a medical condition in which a part of the intestine folds into the section next to it
 It typically involves the small bowel and less commonly the large bowel
 Intussusception occurs more commonly in children than adults
 In children, males are more often affected than females
 The usual age of occurrence is 6-18months old

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

 Periodic abdominal pain

 Nausea and vomiting (sometimes green in color, from bile)
 Abdominal bloating
 Bloody stool
 Children or those unable to communicate symptoms verbally may cry, draw their knees up to their chest, or
experienced dyspnea (difficult or painful breathing) with paroxysms of pain

CAUSES:

 Causes of intussusception are not clearly established or understood

 About 90% of cases of intussusception in children arise from an unknown cause. Idiopathic
 Risk factors in children include:
o Certain infections
o Diseases like cystic fibrosis
o Intestinal polyps

DIAGNOSIS:

 Often supported by medical imaging. In children, ultrasound is preferred. While in adults a CT Scan is preferred

CLASSIFICATION:

 In children, intussusception at the ileocecal junction, and accounts for 90% of all cases

TREATMENT:

 Intussusception is an emergency requiring rapid treatment

 Treatment in children is typically by an enema, with surgery used if this is not successful
 Dexamethasone may decrease the risk of another episode
 In adults, surgical removal of part of the bowel is more often required