Childhood intussusception in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

A retrospective review of 41 intussusceptions encountered in 39 children seen over an 8-year period in Ile-Ife, Nigeria is presented. Most cases (61.5%) occurred in infancy. This contrasts with previous reports from Nigeria where intussusception has been presented as being commoner in older children. Vomiting, abdominal pain, excessive crying and passage of bloodstained stools were the main presenting symptoms. An abdominal mass was palpable in only 28.2% of patients. Generally, patients presented late in hospital with only two (5.1%) arriving within 24 hours of the onset of illness. Hydrostatic reduction with barium enema was attempted in these two patients, and it successfully reduced the intussusception in one and caused partial reduction in the other. Nineteen patients (46.3%) required bowel resection. There were nine deaths, giving a mortality rate of 23.1%. The relatively high bowel resection and mortality rates were attributed to the delay in seeking medical treatment.