Intussusception: Jordan University Hospital experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to retrospectively review all children who presented with intussusception over a 24-year period.

METHODOLOGY

The medical records of children who presented with intussusception from July 1979 through July 2003 at Jordan University Hospital were reviewed.

RESULTS

One hundred and nine children (74 male, 35 female) presented with intussusception. Their mean age was 16.3 months (range 2 months-14 years). The presenting symptoms were: vomiting (92%), abdominal colic/pain (80%) rectal bleeding (78%), and abdominal mass (65%). Ninety-six cases were ileocolic intussusception (idiopathic type). Eleven patients had small bowel intussusception. Laparotomy was required in 86 cases, manual reduction being successful in 59 (56%); 20 (18%) had bowel resection; 2 had resection of Meckel's diverticulum; and 5 patients underwent Ladd procedure for associated malrotation.

CONCLUSIONS

Idiopathic intussusception commonly presenting as an ileocolic type constituted the majority of the cases in the present study, occurring in 96 patients (89.7%). The clinical features were classical, vomiting being the most common. The average interval between the onset of symptoms and presentation to the hospital was 46 hours and barium enema reduction was successful in 20 out of 48 cases in which it was attempted. Surgical intervention was required in 86 cases (81%); of which manual reduction was successful in 59 cases, resection was required in 22 cases and 5 patients required an additional Ladd procedure for associated malrotation.