Contemporary management of adult intussusception: who needs a resection?

Abstract

Surgical resection is often recommended in adults with intestinal intussusception (AI) because of its potential association with malignancy. We provide a contemporary algorithm for managing AI by focusing on the probability of discovering a lead point. This is a retrospective study of adult patients with computed tomography (CT)-confirmed intussusception who underwent operative management of AI between 1996 and 2011 at a single academic institution. Sixty-four patients were diagnosed with AI by CT scan and then managed operatively. The incidence of colonic (CI), small bowel (SBI), and retrograde intussusception (RI) was 14, 55, and 31 %, respectively. All patients with CI had a lead point, whereas none were found among patients with RI. Some 46 % of patients with SBI had a lead point. The probability of discovering a lead point in SBI was increased by past history of malignancy (RR, 3.7, p < 0.001), a mass seen on preoperative CT scan (RR, 2.9, p = 0.005), and age over 60 years (RR, 2.2, p = 0.07). A pathologic lead point is likely with CI but not with RI. Patients with SBI who are over the age of 60 years and have a history of malignancy or a mass noted on CT scan have a higher likelihood of harboring a pathologic lead point.