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Intussusception in the adult

An elusive cause of recurrent abdominal pain

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Summary and conclusions

A review is presented of 32 adults with intussusception seen over a 10-year period in the Saint Louis University affiliated hospitals, and 25 of these cases, believed to present a specific clinical entity, have been analyzed and the findings presented. The salient features in the clinical picture and a proper diagnostic approach have been emphasized.

In the adult, intussusception should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms suggestive of partial obstruction, particularly when of an intermittent nature. When such a clinical picture is associated with an early, changing, or recurrent mass in the absence of prominent constitutional signs or symptoms, the diagnosis becomes more likely. The importance of careful gastrointestinal survey with X-ray, sigmoidoscopy, and stool study in substantiating the diagnosis has been stressed, along with information of value in its differentiation from somewhat similar abdominal problems.

Intussusception, as well as the frequently associated small-bowel tumors, are often missed for considerable periods of time. This should be less likely with an enlightened approach to anamnesis and subsequent carefully instituted diagnostic studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. From the Medical Service, Section II, St. Louis City Hospital, St. Louis, Mo.

    R. William Burmeister M.D.

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  1. R. William Burmeister M.D.
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Additional information

The author is indebted to Mrs. Phebe W. Summers of the U. S. Army Medical Unit. Fort Detrick, Md., for preparation of illustrations and review of the manuscript. The advice of Edwin L. Overholt, Lt. Col., MC, Walter Reed General Hospital, concerning the organization of the manuscript is greatly appreciated.

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Burmeister, R.W. Intussusception in the adult. Digest Dis Sci 7, 360–374 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02231861

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