Intestinal Intussusception: A Shocking Diagnosis
Sara M Morais, Cristina Santos Costa, Maria Beatriz Mourato, Tamiris Mogne, Guilherme Santos
Abstract
Intussusception is a rare condition diagnosed in adults, with few cases reported as idiopathic. It is defined as the invagination of an intestinal segment into another adjacent one, due to the presence of a lead point, or in some cases, without identifiable causative lesions. The presentation is non-specific, even with careful evaluation, and most of the time, the diagnosis is made during surgery. We hereby present the case of a 73-year-old woman with idiopathic intussusception who presented in the emergency room. She was taken to the operating theatre, where intestinal resection was performed. Few cases of true idiopathic intestinal intussusception in adults are seen, and literature on this topic remains scarce. We discuss diagnostic and therapeutic options and do a brief review of the literature.