A comparison of colo-colic and ileo-colic intussusception.

There are many differences in the clinical features of intussusception between African and temperate countries. The records of 192 patients with intussusception who presented to the Pediatric Surgical Service at King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban, South Africa during a 10-year period were reviewed. Compared with temperate countries, the patients were older (median, 1 year 7 months), presented later (median, 4.2 days), had a higher proportion of colo-colic lesions (17%), had absence of primary bowel pathology, and had a high surgical rate (82%). To define clinically important differences, the clinical and pathological features of 158 cases of ileo-colic intussusceptions were compared with 34 colo-colic cases. Compared with the ileo-colic group, colo-colic lesions occurred in older children (median, 3.8 years) (v 1.5 years; P < .001). In the colo-colic group, there were fewer shocked and pyrexial patients, and the rate of successful nonoperative reduction was higher. The groups had a similar incidence of surgical intervention (82%). In the ileo-colic group, there was a higher mortality rate and more complications, but only the higher resection rate (P < .001) was statistically significant.