Intussusception: agonal phenomenon or cause of death?

This paper describes two cases of small intestinal intussusception, one in a child and one in an adult, where the findings at autopsy were atypical. The significance of intussusception in this situation is discussed and the literature related to deaths accompanied by acute small intestinal intussusception in the adult and paediatric population is reviewed. It is concluded that the findings represent a true pathological entity and not an 'agonal' event.