Adult intussusception secondary to colorectal cancer in a young man: a case report

The occurrence of adult intussusception from colorectal cancer in a 27-year-old man is quite uncommon.

To raise awareness of the incidence of intussusception in adults, to educate others about the protean manifestations and high association with malignancy of the disease, and to provide treatment recommendations.

We present a case of a 27-year-old man with a non-contributory family history who presented to the Emergency Department multiple times over a 10-month period with vague abdominal complaints. Clinical symptoms ultimately included a 75-lb weight loss, fatigue, mild right-sided abdominal pain, and anemia. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed right-sided colocolic intussusception with a lead point. The patient underwent a right hemicolectomy with ileocolic anastomosis. Pathologic evaluation and staging revealed a stage IIIB poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Molecular analysis was negative for genetic causes.

This case demonstrates how intussusception and possible colorectal cancer must be included in the differential diagnosis even in young adults who have persistent abdominal complaints.