Related Experiment Videos
[Role of ultrasonic diagnosis in patients with clinically suspected acute intestinal invagination]
A Bertei1, S Marchetti, M Taccola
1Servizio di Radiologia, USL 14, Ospedale, Cecina.
Insights
Ultrasound (US) is a reliable diagnostic tool for acute intestinal intussusception in infants. This imaging method accurately identifies intussusception, helping to avoid unnecessary surgery.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Acute intestinal intussusception is a common pediatric abdominal emergency, primarily affecting infants aged 3 to 30 months.
- Ileo-colic intussusception is the most frequent type, accounting for 75-95% of cases.
- Most intussusception cases (95%) are primary, with secondary causes being rare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound (US) compared to plain abdominal radiographs for acute intestinal intussusception in infants.
- To determine the reliability of US in diagnosing or ruling out intussusception, thereby guiding surgical decisions.
Main Methods:
- Prospective examination of 25 infants with suspected acute intestinal intussusception over three years.
- Utilized plain abdominal radiographs and ultrasound (US) for diagnosis.
- Identified specific US findings indicative of intussusception, such as the "pudding" sign.
Main Results:
- Ultrasound (US) successfully diagnosed acute intestinal intussusception in 11 out of 25 infants.
- US ruled out intussusception in the remaining 14 cases, demonstrating 100% reliability.
- Characteristic US findings included the "pudding" sign on transverse and longitudinal scans.
Conclusions:
- Ultrasound (US) is the preferred imaging modality for diagnosing acute intestinal intussusception in infants, outperforming conventional radiology.
- US imaging is highly reliable and crucial in preventing unnecessary surgical interventions for suspected intussusception.
Abstract:
Acute intestinal intussusception is one of the commonest causes of abdominal emergency in infants. It strikes mainly infants 3 to 30 months old. Ileo-colic intussusception is the commonest form (75-95%), whereas ileo-ileo-colic, colono-colic and ileo-ileal intussusceptions are rather uncommon. Intussusception is primitive in 95% of cases and secondary in the extant 5%. Over the last 3 years we examined 25 infants with clinical suspicion of acute intestinal intussusception by means of plain abdominal radiographs and US. In 11 cases US diagnosed acute intestinal intussusception. US signs useful for diagnosis were: intussusception "pudding" on both transverse and longitudinal scans, and communicating intussusception "pudding" and bowel. US allowed intestinal intussusception to be diagnosed in 11 cases and ruled out in 14, with 100% reliability. In agreement with literature data, our results confirm US as the method of choice--versus conventional radiology--in the diagnosis of acute intestinal intussusception and stress the value of US studies in helping avoid surgery.