Intussusception of the appendix: comprehensive review of the literature

Intussusception of the appendix is a rare disease that constitutes a diagnostic challenge to the surgeon. The literature on this condition is limited to case reports. The demographics, presentation, and treatment remain debatable in the absence of a comprehensive review of the literature.

This article reports a case of a 40-year-old woman who presented with intussusception of the appendix caused by endometriosis. A comprehensive review of the English literature in PubMed was performed. The trends in incidence, sex predilection, presentation, and treatment of appendiceal intussusception were derived based on the reports of 191 patients.

The incidence was more common in adults (76%) than in children (24%). Female patients (72%) were 2 times more affected in adults than in children, whereas male patients (58%) seem to be more affected in the pediatric population. Intussusception of the appendix has most commonly a chronic presentation (63%). Endometriosis (33%) and inflammation (76%) were the most common pathologic findings in adults and children, respectively. Only 49% of patients were treated by simple appendectomy; 49% patients underwent partial colectomy; and 2% of patients had their appendixes endoscopically removed.