Intussusception in Adults: A Retrospective Review from a Single Institution

Intussusception is uncommon in adults and often manifests as nonspecific symptoms. Owing to its low incidence and the lack of knowledge on the symptoms, causes, and treatment of adult intussusception (AI), many surgeons may have limited experience in the diagnosis and treatment of intussusception. This study aimed to describe the experience of AI and discuss its clinical presentation, etiology, and management.

I retrospectively reviewed patients aged 19 years and older who were diagnosed with intussusception at a single institution between March 2010 and December 2019.

Among 28 patients who were finally analyzed, abdominal pain was the most commonly observed symptom. Ileocolic and ileoileal intussusceptions were the most common locations, and a lead point was observed in 19 cases (68%), of which malignancy was observed in six (21%). Bowel resection was performed in 27 cases. According to the pathological findings of the tissue from the resected section, nine and three cases of small bowel intussusception (SBI) were benign and malignant, respectively, whereas 13 and three cases of colonic intussusception (CI) were benign and malignant, respectively. On comparing SBI and CI, it was observed that most variables did not significantly differ, except for the duration of symptoms.

SBI had a higher lead point than CI. The rate of malignancy in CI cases in this study was lower than that reported in other studies. En-bloc resection can be considered the first option for the treatment of AI.