A condition in which part of the gastrointestinal tract becomes folded down inside the part beneath it, causing an obstruction and strangulation of the folded part.
Telescoping of the small intestine, a painful digestive disorder common in young children, causing couc-like symptoms and often requiring surgical correction; also known by the more general term prolapse.
In-folding of one part of the intestine into the lumen of another part, causing an obstruction. Symptoms include abdominal pain and bloody stool. Treatment is by surgery.
Telescoping of one segment of intestine into the lumen of an adjacent segment.
A rare disorder in which part of an intestine retracts within itself, much as a telescope retracts. Intussusception most often occurs in the small intestine of babies 4 to 6 months old. Babies scream in pain when muscular contractions occur in the telescoped portion of the intestine. Afterward, they often become limp and pale, vomit, and pass bloody, mucous-filled stools. Babies who experience these symptoms require prompt medical attention. Diagnosis is made through a lower gastrointestinal (GI) series (an X-ray procedure also called a barium enema). The enema may force the telescoped portion back into place. If not, corrective surgery is recommended.
The telescoping (invagination) of one part of the bowel into another: most common in young children under the age of four. As the contents of the intestine are pushed onward by muscular contraction more and more intestine is dragged into the invaginating portion, resulting in obstruction. Symptoms include intermittent pain, vomiting, and the passing of a red jellylike substance with the stools; if the condition does not receive prompt surgical treatment, shock from gangrene of the bowel may result.
A form of obstruction of the bowels in which part of the intestine enters within that part immediately beneath it. This can best be understood by observing what takes place in the fingers of a tightly fitting glove, as they turn outside-in when the glove is pulled off the hand. Mostly, the condition affects infants. Often it occurs during the course of a viral infection or a mild attack of gastroenteritis, or it may be that swelling of lymphoid tissue in the gut provokes the event. The point at which it most often occurs is the junction between the small and the large intestines, the former passing within the latter. The symptoms are those of intestinal obstruction in general, and in addition there is often a discharge of blood-stained mucus from the bowel. Unless the symptoms rapidly subside, when it may be assumed that the bowel has righted itself, treatment consists of either hydrostatic reduction by means of a barium or air enema, or an operation. At operation the intussusception is either reduced or, if this is not possible, the obstructed part is cut out and the ends of the intestine then stitched together. If treated adequately and in time, the mortality is now reduced to around 1 per cent. The condition may recur in about 5 per cent of patients.
The slipping of one part of an intestine into another part just below it; becoming ensheathed. Although it is an infrequent cause of bowel obstruction in adults, it is the most common cause in infants and usually occurs in the ileocecal region of the bowel. In some instances, the process may be reduced by low pressure contrast enema; ultimately, surgery may be necessary if the process recurs. Prognosis is good if surgery is performed immediately, but mortality is high if this condition is left untreated more than 24 hr.
The condition characterized by the displacement or overlapping of one segment of the intestine into the adjacent section.
This is a situation where a segment of the intestine folds into itself, creating a sort of tube within another tube. Typically, this leads to intestinal blockage, a condition known as intestinal obstruction. This problem commonly occurs at the junction of the small and large intestines, primarily affecting the terminal portion of the small intestine.
In certain instances, there is a connection to a recent infection. Alternatively, the condition might originate from the location of a polyp or Meckel’s diverticulum (a pouch-like protrusion from the ileum).
Intussusception is more prevalent among children aged below two years. Typically, an afflicted child experiences intense abdominal colic, frequently accompanied by vomiting. Additionally, traces of blood and mucus are often observed in the stool.
In instances of severe intussusception, there is a potential for the blood supply to the intestine to be obstructed. This could lead to gangrene (tissue necrosis), followed by the development of peritonitis (inflammation of the abdominal lining) or perforation (rupture).
In certain situations, an enema might be employed to manually return the irregular section of the intestine to its proper position. Alternatively, surgical intervention could be required to reposition the intestine in other cases.
A condition in which a piece of the intestine becomes ensheathed within an adjacent piece in a manner similar to the tuck some housewives put above the elbow of a shirt sleeve to shorten it. The normal muscular movement of the intestine then attempts, ineffectually, to propel the ensheathed portion as though it were part of the intestine’s normal contents; this causes intestinal obstruction. Intussusception is seen most commonly among children, usually males about nine to twelve months old. There is sometimes a history of intestinal disturbance, either constipation or diarrhea, but usually the patient is a healthy infant who is suddenly seized with acute attacks of colicky abdominal pain. The pain passes off, leaving the child white and listless, only to return a few minutes or even, sometimes, ours later. There is frequently vomiting, sometimes the child has its bowels open, and at first the stool appears normal but later consists of only blood and mucus. The pain gradually becomes increasingly frequent and more and more blood and mucus are passed. If unrelieved, the abdomen distends and the child sinks into a state of collapse. Although some cases have recovered spontaneously, the patient is nearly always admitted to a hospital for treatment. Efforts have been made to treat intussusception by such bloodless methods as abdominal manipulation, and injection of air and fluids into the bowel, and some success has been claimed for enemas which have pushed the trapped piece of intestine out of the gut. The only certain way to reduce an intussusception, however, is a simple operation in which the surgeon gently milks the two pieces of intestine apart without cutting it. Delay in treatment may result in the trapped portion becoming gangrenous and this involves a more serious operation to remove the gangrenous part and to rejoin the cut ends.