Intussusception revealing right colonic adenocarcinoma in a 61-year-old woman: a case report

Adult Intussusception is an uncommon diagnosis, with one to three cases occurring in a population of 1,000,000 per year, primarily due to underlying pathological lead points, of which 70% are malignant. Lipoma is the most common benign tumour, and primary adenocarcinoma is the most common malignant one. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to reducing poor outcomes, including ischemia, perforation, and sepsis. Computed tomography imaging is a modality of choice for diagnosis. With a diagnostic accuracy of up to 100% and a specificity of up to 71%. Surgical intervention is the definitive treatment, and the decision is taken according to the situation.

A 61-year-old Black African female presented to our surgical casualty with intermittent colicky abdominal pain for 1 month. After that, she started to experience abdominal swelling in the right iliac fossa. A CT scan confirmed the presence of colo-colic Intussusception, cecum-ascending-transverse colon. Laparotomy was scheduled, and a right hemicolectomy was done accordingly. Diagnosis of adenocarcinoma (Dukes stage B2) was made histologically.

Intussusception in adults is a challenging diagnosis requiring high clinical suspicion and has a high incidence of fatal complications. Colonic cancer can be worsening by any infection and chronic medical problem. CT imaging is the lifesaving modality of choice for diagnosis. Good patient outcomes depend on timely diagnosis and recruitment of a multi-disciplinary team.