A case report of intestinal acute intussusception secondary to a lipoma: Imagery has a great value

Acute intestinal intussusception (AII) in adults, unlike in children, is a rare manifestation that is frequently secondary to malignant or benign tumors and intestinal intussusception on a lipoma is more exceptional.

We present a rare case of AII caused by a lipoma in a previously healthy 44-year-old man. He experienced severe right lower quadrant pain and constipation. An abdominal CT scan revealed ileocecal intussusception, displaying the classic "sandwich" and "cocarde" images. Additionally, a Caecal lipoma was identified. The patient underwent midline laparotomy, revealing significant small bowel distention upstream of the ileocolic intussusception. Subsequently, a right hemicolectomy with ileocolostomy was performed. Pathological examination confirmed colonic ischemic necrosis attributed to AII originating from a submucosal caecal lipoma.

AII is a rare cause of abdominal pain and accounts for 1 to 5 % of adult intestinal obstructions. In adults, an organic cause is found in 70 to 90 % of cases, often secondary to an endoluminal lesion of malignant nature. Pure colonic intussusception on a lipoma is exceptional. CT scan, can show characteristic images and confirms the fatty nature of the lipoma. Surgical intervention is necessary as treatment for intussusception and anatomopathological examination is required for diagnostic confirmation.

Intestinal intussusception caused by an intestinal lipoma is rare. Imaging, mainly ultrasound and CT scan, plays a crucial role in providing a positive and etiological diagnosis of the condition by showing characteristic images. Treatment is always surgical, and there is no place for reduction under radiological control.