Adult Intussusception: A Disease Often Uncovered in the Operating Room

Intussusception is the prolapsing of one bowel segment into another. It is a common entity in the pediatric population, but is rare in adults representing only 5% of cases. A variety of causes are attributable to this disease process, with benign lesions predominating in small bowel cases and malignancy being largely responsible for intussusception of the colon in adults. It is often difficult to diagnose due to the variable onset, presentation of symptoms and possibly intermittent nature, and thus is often revealed at emergency laparotomy. Most surgeons agree that the optimal approach to management is surgical resection with oncological principles due to the high incidence of malignancy-associated intussusception in adults.