Intussusception of the appendiceal stump

Intussusception of the appendiceal stump is a rare complication of appendectomy. A patient is described in detail and the eighteen previously reported instances are reviewed. Symptoms associated with this entity were abdominal pain (95%), vomiting (47%), blood per rectum (26%), and a palpable abdominal mass (68%). The onset of symptoms occurred within two weeks following appendectomy in 84% of the patients. Barium enema examination was diagnostic in 87.5% of patients in whom it was performed. The diagnosis of intussusception of the appendiceal stump in the postoperative period is difficult because of the nonspecificity of symptoms, the paucity of physical findings, and the intermittent nature of the partial bowel obstruction. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are facilitated by a thorough knownledge of this rare complication of appendectomy.