Transient small bowel intussusception in adult coeliac disease

Considerable disagreement exists in the literature concerning the occurrence and incidence of transient non-obstructive intussusception in adult coeliac disease. Only a few case reports have been published and several standard texts do not mention the association at all. We report six adult patients, all with coeliac disease, who demonstrated transient non-obstructive intussusception on small bowel meal examination. The technique of the small bowel meal and the radiological signs of malabsorption are briefly described. The literature is reviewed and reasons for the disagreement herein are discussed. We conclude that the incidence of finding intussusception in adult coeliac disease is related to the intensity of searching and in our series this association was seen in at least 20% of cases. It is considered to be an additional radiological sign of coeliac disease although in no case did it occur in the absence of other prominent radiological evidence of malabsorption.