Adult colocolic intussusception: case report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62407/gy73ph02Abstract
Introduction: Intestinal intussusception is defined as the invagination of a bowel segment into the lumen of an adjacent one, typically triggered by structural alterations in the intestinal wall. While small bowel intussusceptions are primarily associated with benign pathologies, those occurring in the large bowel are usually linked to underlying malignancies. In adults, this medical condition is extremely rare, accounting for less than 5% of all intussusception cases and between 1% and 5% of all causes of mechanical bowel obstruction. It is incidentally documented in 1 out of every 1,300 abdominal surgeries and in approximately 1% of laparotomies performed for occlusion. The overall incidence ratio between children and adults exceeds 20:1. Case Report: We present the case of a 60-year-old male patient who presented to the emergency department reporting non-specific abdominal pain of one month's evolution, accompanied by bloody stools and significant weight loss. Following initial conservative management that yielded no improvement, he underwent an exploratory laparoscopy. During the surgical procedure, an intussusception in the transverse colon secondary to a submucosal lipoma was identified. The indicated treatment was the surgical resection of the affected segment, successfully resolving this highly rare cause of intestinal invagination. Clinical Relevance: Due to the low incidence of intussusception in the adult population compared to the pediatric demographic, combined with the non-specific nature of its clinical presentation, current scientific evidence is not as robust as in other abdominal pathologies. Therefore, case reports and comprehensive meta-analyses remain essential tools to guide safe diagnosis and clinical management. The choice of imaging study is crucial for a timely therapeutic approach; currently, abdominal computed tomography is the method of choice due to its high diagnostic specificity and its overall usefulness in detecting secondary complications.
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