How much do you know about intussusception?

  Intussusception is an emergency. It occurs mostly in infants and children with sudden onset of abdominal pain with intermittent episodes. Infants may present with paroxysmal violent crying. Other manifestations are not identical, such as vomiting in infants with yellow-green bile-like or stomach contents. Some infants may have blood or mucus in their stools, which may be red and maroon or jam or jelly-like in color. Sometimes parents can palpate a lump in the child’s abdomen. If consultation is delayed, the child may become weak and may develop fever or even shock.  The cause of intussusception in infants and children is not yet known, but is usually thought to be related to viral and bacterial infections, or to the addition of complementary foods.  The age of onset is usually between 3 months and 5 years. Some older children with malformations of the intestinal tract also develop intussusception.  The most appropriate test to confirm the diagnosis of intussusception is abdominal ultrasound, which shows “concentric circles” in the transverse section and “sleeve-like” or “sleeve-like” in the longitudinal section of the intussusception mass.  If the head is not tight, air enema can reset the mass. The “cupping-like” manifestation can be found on imaging fluoroscopy. In case of a large mass or a long history, surgery should be performed if air enema is difficult to reset the mass.  If you suspect intussusception in infants and children, you can go to the nearest hospital for abdominal ultrasound. If you have any suspicion of intussusception in infants, you can go to the nearest hospital for abdominal ultrasound.