Idiopathic Intussusception in Infants and Children: Different Outcomes in Relation to Interventions.

Background Intussusception is a pediatric emergency causing bowel obstruction that can progress to gangrene or perforation. Patients usually present with vomiting, abdominal discomfort or pain, or rectal bleeding. Specialized infant and child care is important to detect and manage such cases. Methodology This retrospective, cross-sectional study analyzed 45 cases of idiopathic pediatric intussusception presented to and managed by specialized pediatric healthcare services over 12 years. The medical records of children who presented with idiopathic intussusception from January 2010 to December 2022 at King Fahad National Guard Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were reviewed. The data obtained included age, sex, clinical presentation, symptom duration, diagnostic investigations, mode of treatment, length of hospital stay, and outcomes. Results A total of 45 children were included (25 male, 20 female). The median age was 10 months ranging between five and eight months. The majority presented with abdominal pain or colic (78%), vomiting (76%), and rectal bleeding (47%). The diagnosis was done by an ultrasound preceded by pneumatic enema reduction that was successful in 33 (80%) children. Only four (9%) children underwent surgery as initial management. Ileocolic intussusception (73%) was the most prevalent, followed by colicolic (18%) and ilioiliac (10%). Among the children who underwent surgical reduction, 11 (92%) underwent laparotomy reduction. In total, 11 children underwent surgical reduction as well as an appendectomy, and four children required bowel resection. Only two children developed perforation, and recurrence occurred in two other children. The mean duration of symptoms before presentation was 46.73 hours, and the mean hospital stay was 3.4 days for all cases. Rectal bleeding was a predicting factor for surgical reduction. Conclusions Ileocolic was the most common site of intussusception. Abdominal pain, vomiting, and rectal bleeding were frequently seen on presentation. In addition, surgical reduction was associated with rectal bleeding. However, pneumatic reduction was successful in 80% of the cases. Unlike the previous study, this study reports fewer children requiring surgical intervention as well as lower hospital stay duration. Thus, this study emphasizes the importance of specialized pediatric services to enhance outcomes.

Recurrent Intussusception in the Setting of Meckel's Diverticulum in an Infant.

Intussusception is a condition consisting of a proximal portion of the bowel contracting into a more distal bowel portion. The recurring act of intussusception is typically caused by a pathological lead point persisting within the bowel. The most common lead point for intussusception is a Meckel's diverticulum, which arises due to the incomplete obliteration of the omphalomesenteric canal causing a true diverticulum in the small bowel. This report outlines a case of a 10-month-old male infant who experienced three intussusception episodes, eventually requiring surgical intervention. A clinician's awareness of this phenomenon aids in implementing adequate treatment.

Incidental Appendiceal Basidiobolomycosis in a Clinical Setting of Intestinal Intussusception in a Five-Year-Old Patient: A Case Report.

Gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis (GIB) is a rare, critical fungal infection caused by Basidiobolus ranarum, an environmental saprophyte with a wide geographical distribution. It usually affects the immunocompetent host and presents with nonspecific clinical signs and symptoms, posing a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The coexistence of GIB and intussusception is rare, and it is far more unusual for appendiceal basidiobolomycosis and intussusception to coexist. Herein, we report a case of a five-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with a clinical and radiological picture of intestinal intussusception, for which he underwent laparoscopic exploration and reduction. The appendix was observed to be partially invaginated through the cecum and was difficult to be reduced. Subsequent histopathological examination of the laparoscopically resected appendix demonstrated fungal organisms morphologically consistent with basidiobolomycosis. The patient achieved full recovery with a combination of surgery and prolonged antifungal therapy.

Concurrent Acute Appendicitis and Type III Appendiceal Intussusception: A Case Report.

Appendiceal intussusception is exceedingly rare. Although there are few case reports of concurrent ileocecal intussusception and acute appendicitis, to our knowledge, this is the first reported case of concurrent Type III appendiceal intussusception and acute appendicitis. We present the case of an 11-year-old male who underwent appendectomy with partial cecectomy for a Type III appendiceal intussusception with concurrent acute appendicitis.

Outcomes in pediatric patients with documented delays between ileocolic intussusception diagnosis and therapeutic enema attempt: evaluation of reduction efficacy and complication rate.

BACKGROUND: Ileocolic intussusception is considered a pediatric emergency, with concerns for risk of significant morbidity in children with a prolonged intussusception state. Emergent therapy is standard of care, as prior studies have shown poor outcomes in patients with long delays (> 24 h) before intervention. Various factors can result in shorter delays, and there are limited studies evaluating outcomes in these patients. This study aimed to determine if there were differences in reduction success rates associated with short in-hospital time delays. OBJECTIVE: This study is to determine enema success rate and morbidity in patients with documented time delays between intussusception diagnosis and therapeutic enema. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective evaluation of pediatric patients with intussusception at a single children's hospital between 2007 and 2019 was performed. Patient's records were reviewed for time of symptom onset, radiologic diagnosis, and attempted enema. Ultrasounds and radiographs were reviewed for bowel obstruction, free peritoneal fluid, trapped fluid around the intussusceptum, and absent bowel wall perfusion. Patients were evaluated for efficacy of reduction attempt, requirement for surgical reduction, and complications including bowel resection and bowel perforation. RESULTS: There were 175 cases of ileocolic intussusception requiring enema reduction. Successful reduction occurred in 72.2% (13/18) of cases performed within 1 h of diagnosis; 74.3% (78/105) between 1 and3 h; 73.2% (30/41) between 3 and 6 h; and 81.2% (9/11) with greater than 6 h. Need for bowel resection was not associated with short delays between diagnosis and reduction attempts (p = .07). CONCLUSIONS: There was no difference in intussusception reduction efficacy or complication rate in patients with increasing time between imaging diagnosis of ileocolic intussusception and reduction attempt, including delay intervals up to 8 h.

Pediatric Intussusception Following COVID-19 Infection: A Rare Presentation.

Pediatric intussusception has been reported to be associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in the literature since the start of the pandemic in the past two years. Although this occurrence is exceptionally rare, rapid diagnosis based on recognition of gastrointestinal manifestations, clinical examination, and ultrasound confirmation can expedite appropriate care and prevent delayed complications. Intussusception is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction and acute abdomen in pediatric patients. Without prompt identification, the disease process can lead to necrosis, bowel perforation, shock, and, subsequently, multiorgan failure. Intussusception has previously been associated with viral upper respiratory infections, which can cause mesenteric lymphadenopathy as a lead point to allow the bowel to telescope upon itself. The mechanism of how COVID-19 can contribute to intussusception without respiratory symptoms remains unknown. Here, we present a case of pediatric intussusception associated with COVID-19.

A Technique to Reduce the Early Recurrence of Intussusception in Ultrasound-Guided Hydrostatic Reduction.

OBJECTIVES: Ultrasound-guided saline enema is highly successful in treating pediatric intussusception; however, early recurrence-within 48 hours-is possible. This study aimed to explore effective methods of reducing early recurrence. METHODS: This study included patients aged 0 to 14 years diagnosed with ileocolic intussusception with a symptom duration of <48 hours from January 2019 to March 2021. The patients were divided into control and intervention groups. All patients received successful treatment with ultrasound-guided saline enema; however, in patients treated before January 4, 2020 (control group), the intestinal fluid was drained immediately, and in patients treated after January 4, 2020 (intervention group), the intestinal fluid was drained after 15 minutes of intestinal pressure maintenance. Early recurrence rates of the groups were compared. RESULTS: Ileocolic intussusception was treated successfully by ultrasound-guided saline enema in 231 patients (116, control group;115, intervention group). The early recurrence rate in the intervention group (10%; 95% CI: 4.9-16.5) was numerically lower than that in the control group (19%; 95% CI: 12.3-27.3). No significant difference was observed in the number of recurrences per person between the groups (P = .448). Patients without early recurrence were older (P = .004) and received enemas of a shorter duration (P < .001) and lower pressure (P < .001) than patients without early recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Maintaining reduction pressure for 15 minutes after a successful ultrasound-guided saline enema may reduce the early recurrence of intussusception. A randomized controlled trial is needed because the intervention and control cohorts were most probably incomparable (due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Effect of manipulative reduction combined with air enema on intestinal mucosal immune function in children with intussusception.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of manipulative reduction combined with air enema on intestinal mucosal immune function in children with intussusception. METHODS: This is a prospective randomized controlled study in which 60 children with primary intussusception admitted to Hebei Children's Hospital from October 2018 to October 2019 were selected for this study. They were randomly divided into two groups. The 30 patients in the experimental group underwent manipulative reduction and air enema reduction, and 30 patients in the control group underwent only air enema reduction. Pain scores and pressure during enema were recorded and analyzed. Fasting blood of children in the experimental group were drawn to test the serum T lymphocyte subsets CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ levels, B lymphocyte subsets CD19+ level, and NK cell subsets CD56+ levels before reduction. Among them, fasting blood of 28 children with successful reduction were drawn again in the morning after reduction, and the indicators of each immune cell subgroup before and after reduction were analyzed. Two children with unsuccessful reduction were no longer tested for these indicators. RESULTS: Twenty-Eight children in the experimental group had successful reduction, and two children with unsuccessful reduction were changed to open surgery (28/30). Twenty five Children in the control group had successful reduction, and five were changed to open surgery (25/30). There was no significant difference in the success rate of reduction between two groups (p>0.05). Close observation for 12~24h after reduction found that none of the children had signs of peritonitis. The pain score and reduction pressure of the observation group were lower than those of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). The levels of serum CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ after reduction in the experimental group were significantly higher than before reduction, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). CD19+ level was significantly lower than before reduction, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in changes of other indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Manipulative reduction combined with air enema reduction can relieve pain and air injection pressure during enema, reduce reperfusion injury caused by intestinal ischemia, and protect intestinal mucosal immune function, which is a favored treatment.

Evolving Concepts in Ultrasonography of Pediatric Intussusceptions: Unequivocal Differentiation of Ileocolic, Obstructive and Transient Small-Bowel Intussusceptions.

The main aim of the study was to elaborate on the various ultrasonographic parameters that can be used for definite differentiation of ileocolic, obstructive small-bowel and transient small-bowel intussusceptions (SBI). In this study, 90 children (63 boys and 27 girls) with suspected intussusception were evaluated. Of these, 54 cases were diagnosed as obstructive intussusceptions (33 ileocolic and 21 ileoileal), 15 cases were classified as transient SBIs and 21 cases were negative for intussusception. The mean fat core diameter was 1.45 ± 0.32 cm for ileocolic versus 0.37 ± 0.06 cm for obstructive SBI versus 0.29 ± 0.08 cm for transient SBI (p < 0.001). The mean lesion diameter was 3.23 ± 0.08 cm for ileocolic intussusceptions and 2.12 ± 0.038 cm for SBI (p < 0.001), and the ratio of inner fat core to outer wall thickness was greater than 1 for ileocolic intussusceptions and less than 1 for SBI. A statistically significant difference was found between segmental invagination of transient versus obstructive SBIs with mean values of 1.93 ± 0.39 cm and 3.17 ± 0.25 cm, respectively, and an "optimal" threshold at 2.5 cm.

Epidemiology study of pediatric primary intussusception aged ≤24 months in pre-rotavirus vaccine era of Jinan, China.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have reported on the epidemiological characteristics of pediatric primary intussusception in the pre-rotavirus vaccine era of China. It is important to complementary baseline data before rotavirus vaccine introduction in China. This study conduct a retrospective investigation and evaluated the incidence rate, described the epidemiology of pediatric primary intussusception aged ≤24 months. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective investigation in all secondary- and tertiary-hospitals in Jinan. Pediatric primary intussusception inpatients aged ≤24 months were identified depending on ICD-10 discharge code from a total of 63 hospitals from 2011 to 2015. Demographic and clinical information were extracting from the electronic clinical record systems. RESULTS: A total of 575 pediatric primary intussusception inpatients were identified with average annual incidence of 86.5 per 100,000. A significantly higher incidence was observed in males (χ2 = 13.8, P < 0.01), in the ≤12 months old age group (χ2 = 19.5, P < 0.01) and from the urban areas (χ2 = 63.31, P < 0.001). No clear seasonality found. Abdominal pain (80.9%) and vomiting (63.3%) were the most frequently reported. Most intussusception cases occurred in ileo-cecum. Over 92% of intussusception cases were diagnosed by ultrasound alone and 77.4% was successfully treated by air enema. 99.7% were cured. The median time of hospitalization was 2 days (range: 0-35 days). CONCLUSION: This retrospective study provides baseline information of incidence, epidemiologyand clinical characteristics of pediatric primary intussusception in Jinan City during 2011-2016 before the introduction of rotavirus vaccine. It will be important for evaluating safety of rotavirus vaccine if it will be introduced to the routine immunization program in China.

Pediatric intussusception and early discharge after pneumatic reduction.

OBJECTIVE: The success of non-operative reduction methods is extremely high in pediatric intussusceptions. Recurrent intussusceptions are also well-known entities in the pediatric age group after non-operative and operative reduction. Historical recommendations include a 24- to 48-h observation period after reduction. This situation often leads to unnecessary time loss. We aimed to show that early discharge does not pose a significant risk. METHODS: The medical records of patients who presented to our hospital between January 2008 and June 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Data collected included age, clinical presentation, procedural information, surgical intervention, hospital stay, and presence of recurrence. RESULTS: A total of 62 patients were included the study. Non-operative reduction was successful in 58 of 62 patients (93.5%). Four patients with failed non-operative reduction underwent subsequent surgical procedures. All patients were allowed oral intake within 2-4 h (mean: 2.6 h) after successful non-operative reduction and discharged within 5-8 h (mean: 6.2 h) after reduction. There were five episodes of recurrence and none occurred in the first 48 h after reduction. All recurrences were treated with non-operative reduction as in the first attempt. There were no problems detected in short- or long-term follow-ups. CONCLUSION: Pneumatic reduction is a safe and effective method in pediatric intussusception. If one is confident about treatment success, patients can be discharged without a long observation period. Early discharge is also cost-effective and reduces time loss.

The Laparoscopic Versus Open Approach for Reduction of Intussusception in Infants and Children: An Updated Institutional Experience.

PURPOSE: We have previously demonstrated successful laparoscopic management after failed enema reduction of children with intussusception. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of our mature experience with laparoscopic reduction by evaluating operative success, duration of hospital stay, postoperative complications, and hospital readmission rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After IRB approval, a retrospective review was conducted on children (age 0-18 years) who failed enema reduction of intussusception between 2008 and 2017. Cases were classified as either open or laparoscopic. Demographic data, incidence of bowel resection, postoperative length of stay, complications, and hospital readmission rates were abstracted from patient medical records. Comparative analysis was performed in STATA with a P value <.05 determined as significant. RESULTS: A total of 81 children were included in our study with 63 patients (78%) undergoing a laparoscopic reduction and 18 patients (22%) undergoing an open operation. Laparoscopic reduction carried similar complication rates (11%) when compared with children undergoing an open reduction (11%, P = 1.00). Furthermore, both hospital readmission rates and returns to the operating room were similar between the two groups (P = .345 and P = .672, respectively). The median postoperative length of stay was shorter for patients undergoing a laparoscopic reduction (4 days, interquartile range [IQR], 2-5 days) than for patients undergoing an open reduction (5 days, IQR, 4-6 days, P = .001). Children undergoing a laparoscopic reduction had a decreased rate of bowel resection (43% versus 50%, P = .591) despite similar rate of pathological lead points (21% versus 22%, P = .884). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic management of intussusception after failed radiographic reduction yields a reduced hospital length of stay with no increase in hospital readmission rates and reoperations.

Serum intestinal fatty-acid binding protein: predictor of bowel necrosis in pediatric intussusception.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Serum Intestinal Fatty-Acid Binding Protein (I-FABP) is a useful marker of bowel necrosis in pediatric intussusception. The aim of this study is to determine the sensitivity of this marker and correlate it with length of necrosed small bowel. METHODS: A single-centre prospective study of 50 children presenting to Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, in whom a diagnosis of intussusception was made over 1 year was completed. Additionally, 25 age- and sex-matched controls (day case surgery) were recruited. They were grouped into three: 25 children with necrotic bowel, 25 without bowel necrosis, and 25 controls. The serum IFABP levels were compared between the cohorts with confirmed bowel necrosis at surgery and those with no necrosis, as well as controls. The cut-off values for the diagnosis of bowel necrosis were calculated using a receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. RESULTS: Twenty-five children were diagnosed with necrotic intussusception whose serum IFABP immunoassay has significantly higher median compared with those without necrosis and controls (2056.0ng/ml vs. 943.0ng/ml and 478.0ng/ml P=0.0002). Using a cut-off value of 1538ng/ml, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 64%, 88%, 84%, and 71%, respectively. I-FABP titer greater than 1538ng/ml was found to have higher likelihood of necrotic bowel (p=0.002; odds ratio 13.04; 95% confidence interval; 0.618-0.891). CONCLUSION: Serum I-FABP is moderately sensitive for discriminating between bowel necrosis, and it predicts increased likelihood of bowel resectability in intussusception. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II - Development of diagnostic criteria in a consecutive series of patients and a universally applied "gold standard".

Utility of hospital admission for pediatric intussusceptions.

PURPOSE: The standard practice in pediatric patients diagnosed with intussusception has been reduction via enema and admission for a period of nil per os and observation. Little data exists to support this practice. The objective of this study was to examine whether post-reduction admission to hospital is required. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients aged 0-18 years old with intussusception over a span of 20 years. Study included children treated for intussusception on first encounter with enema and subsequently admitted for observation. Study excluded those readmitted for recurrence after 48 h, patients whose intussusception did not reduce on first try, those lost to follow-up, and those who went to the operating room. Early recurrence was defined as recurrence within 48 h post-reduction. RESULTS: Out of 171 patients admitted, only one experienced an early recurrence (0.6 %). Median length of stay for all patients was 2 days. Average cost incurred per day for intussusception admission was $404. CONCLUSION: Intussusception in a child that is successfully reduced via enema has a low recurrence rate and is usually followed by prompt resolution of symptoms. An abbreviated period of observation in the emergency department post-reduction may result in healthcare savings.