Intussusception in Newcastle in a 25 year period

The history of intussusception in Newcastle in a quarter of a century is presented by analysis of patient presentation and the results of management. The figures for the early years are incomplete, retrieved from one hospital in the area. For the years 1976-1988, all cases were managed by two paediatric surgeons who kept individual disease indices. One hundred and sixty-five episodes of intussusception in 153 patients were reviewed in this study. There was one death in the series, whereas there had been several in the years preceding it. There has been an improvement in the success of hydrostatic and later pneumatic reduction. These changes are attributed to the development of appropriate skills resulting from concentration of the management of this problem in the hands of paediatric surgeons and radiologists with special training and interest in paediatrics. Enema reduction has been used more aggressively in recent years and has widened criteria. In the series there were 8 patients with causal lead points, none associated with recurrence. The overall recurrence rate within the series was estimated at 8%. There seems to be a high incidence of intussusception in doctors' families.