Ultrasonographic Diagnosis of Intussusception in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Imaging
• Gastrointestinal Diagnostics
• Medical Ultrasound

Background:

• Intussusception is a common surgical emergency in infants and children.
• Accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment and improved outcomes.
• Conventional diagnostic methods can have limitations in speed and accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography for pediatric intussusception.
• To synthesize evidence from multiple studies on the effectiveness of ultrasound in diagnosing this condition.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across major databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, African Journals Online).
• Studies reporting on the ultrasonographic diagnosis of intussusception in children were included.
• Meta-analysis was performed to pool sensitivity and specificity data from 14 eligible studies (n=2367).

Main Results:

• Ultrasonography demonstrated a pooled sensitivity of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91-0.96).
• The pooled specificity for ultrasonography was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.93-0.98).
• These findings indicate high diagnostic performance in identifying pediatric intussusception.

Conclusions:

• Ultrasonography is a sensitive and specific imaging modality for diagnosing intussusception in pediatric patients.
• Its high accuracy supports its role as a primary diagnostic tool in suspected cases.
• The evidence supports the widespread adoption of ultrasonography for intussusception diagnosis in children.