Intussusception in adults.

This study is a review of 22 adult intussusceptions from 1983 to 1988 at Ankara Numune Hospital in Turkey. The underlying pathological processes were identified in 20 patients (81%). Of 22 patients, 12 were males (54.5%), and 10 were females (45.6%). Twenty-two patients had documented intussusception: four cases originating in colon and 18 cases originating in the small bowel (81.8%). All of the colonic intussusceptions were associated with primary carcinoma of colon. One of 18 cases of small bowel intussusceptions was malign. Because of these findings we advocate resection in colonic intussusceptions. In the patients with intussusception of small bowel, initial surgical reduction and later limited surgical resection is the preferred treatment. The sites of involvement of intussusception in our patient group were jejunojejunal (5), ileoileal (6), ileocaecal (4), ileocolic (3), colocolic (4). When an intussusception is encountered i adults, an underlying process usually can and should be determined for proper treatment.