Intussusception due to inflammatory fibroid polyp: a case report and comprehensive literature review

To give an overview of the literature on intussusception due to inflammatory fibroid polyp (IFP).

We present a new case of ileal intussusception due to IFP and a literature review of studies published in English language on intussusception due to IFP, accessed via PubMed and Google Scholar databases. For the search, the keywords used were: intussusception, IFP, intussusception and IFP, intussusception due to IFP, and IFP presenting as intussusception. The search covered all articles from 1976 to November 2011.

We present a 38-year-old woman who was admitted 10 d after experiencing abdominal pain, vomiting, and nausea. Ultrasonography demonstrated small bowel intussusception. An ileal intussusception due to a mass lesion 50 cm proximal to the ileocecal junction was found during laparotomy. Partial ileal resection and anastomosis were performed. A diagnosis of ileal IFP was made based on the immunohistochemical findings. In addition, a total of 56 reports concerning 85 cases of intussusception due to IFP meeting the aforementioned criteria was included in the literature review. The patients were aged 4 to 81 years (mean, 49 ± 16.2 years); 44 were women (mean, 51.8 ± 14.3 years) and 41 were men (mean, 46 ± 17.5 years). According to the location of the IFP, ileal intussusception was found in 63 patients, while 17 had jejunal, three had colonic, and two had ileojejunal intussusception.

Although IFPs are rare and benign, surgery is the only solution in case of intestinal obstruction. Differential diagnosis should be made via immunohistochemical examination.