Proximal small bowel intussusceptions in adults: CT appearance and clinical significance.

BACKGROUND

According to the clinical literature, intestinal intussusception in adults is rare, is associated with a pathologic lead point, and is usually treated surgically. Nonobstructing small bowel intussusception has been reported as a transient finding on computed tomographic (CT) studies.

METHODS

We evaluated the radiographic and clinical findings in 24 patients who were found to have 26 proximal small bowel intussusceptions on abdominal CT scans performed for a variety of indications.

RESULTS

Twenty patients with intussusceptions had no evidence of small bowel obstruction. The transient and clinically insignificant nature of 22 intussusceptions in these 20 patients was proven radiologically (n = 14), surgically (n = 1), or by clinical follow-up (n = 7). These patients demonstrated a bowel-within-bowel pattern on multiple contiguous images and absence of strangulation or intestinal dilatation. No lead points were demonstrated in these patients. Three other patients had symptoms of low-grade small bowel obstruction and were treated conservatively. Extensive follow-up investigations showed no recurrence of intussusception or a lead point. One patient had high-grade obstructive intussusception with intestinal ischemia and required surgical resection of necrotic bowel.

CONCLUSIONS

Proximal small bowel intussusceptions are likely to be transient and nonobstructive and unlikely to have a significant lead point.