Case Report: Rare presentation of adult intussusception at Orotta National Referral Hospital, Eritrea

Abstract

A 38-year-old woman presented at Orotta National Referral Hospital emergency department in May 2017 with pain in the epigastric region and vomiting. Physical examination revealed no pertinent findings. Blood and urine tests were normal, and erect abdominal x-ray revealed a distended small intestine with multiple layers of “air-fluid levels”. CT scan and MRI were not done due to their temporary unavailability. During laparotomy a large mass of 20x20 cm in size was detected in the mid-jejunum of the small intestine. This leading tumor caused intussusception and coiling of the small intestine. As there are no typical symptoms of intussusception, it is very important to do CT scan for patients with long-standing abdominal pain and vomiting to achieve a definitive diagnosis of intussusception.

Intussusception Presenting as Intestinal Obstruction in Pregnancy: A Case Report from a Tertiary Hospital in Ghana

“…In this case report the patient had an initial presentation of intermittent abdominal pain and nausea for 2 months. This is consistent with the non-specific and episodic nature of presentation in adults [16,18,22,23]. Therefore, non-specific symptoms in pregnancy must always be investigated thoroughly to identify the underlying cause for prompt medical intervention.…”

“…Weledji and Simo emphasized the importance of good clinical assessment in establishing diagnosis in adults [18]. Ultrasonography and CT scan are the gold standard for evaluating and diagnosing intussusception in adults [12,20,21,23,26]. In pregnancy however, ultrasonography and MRI are the safer options because of the risk of fetal abnormalities associated with use of CT scan [8,13,14,31].…”