[Acute intestinal invagination in infants and children, critical evaluation of the diagnostic and therapeutic strategy. Apropos of a series of 163 cases].

This study concerns a homogenous series of 163 cases of intussusceptions in children, seen in the Visceral Pediatric Surgical Unit of Montpellier from 1974 to 1985. The authors differentiate and compare two periods with regard to the year 1980: the first one (P1 = 64 cases) during which, surgery was always the rule;the current one (P2 = 99 cases) where non operative treatment is the modality of choice under precise conditions. Synthetic analysis and comparison of the different therapeutic groups which have been distinguished in every period lead to the following data. 14% of intussusceptions are directly operated whatever the period or the modality of management probably because this group represents the absolute contra-indications of a barium enema--It concerns children with a long duration of the disease, obstructive or peritonitis signs and late diagnosis--Laparotomy is mandatory and finds a high percentage of leading points and ileo-ileal forms. Intestinal resection was necessary in 59.5% of cases. Because of this and a poor general condition, morbidity was high and Hospital stay was long. 56.4% of intussusceptions are operated after failure of barium enema reduction. This hydrostatic irreducibility is probably explained by the prevalence of ileo-colic forms (53.3%) in this group. A shorter duration of the disease (less than 2 days in 43.1%) and a strong majority of idiopathic intussusception (90.5%) are surely responsible of a high percentage (80%) of successful manual reduction without the need of a resection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)