Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Intussusception is an invagination of one portion of the intestine into the lumen of an immediately adjoining part.
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound in the diagnosis of intussusception.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
This is a prospective study of 50 cases of intussusception in the Central Child s Teaching Hospital in the period between April 2008 and February 2010.
forty five patients (90%) were below 6 months and five patients ( 10%) were above 6 months
Male patients predominated and the male to female ratio was (1.2:1).
Seasonal variation was seen in primary intussusception (i.e. in age group of 6 to 24 months old) with peak incidence in spring and summer.
Abdominal pain and vomiting were the most common symptoms in intussusception (92% and 88% respectively), followed by bleeding per rectum (76%), abdominal mass was found in 66% and constipation was found in 28%.
RESULTS:
The diagnostic tool used was the ultrasound for fifty patients; in forty five cases ,diagnosis was made by a characteristic ultrasonic findings of intussusception (i.e. target sign or pseudokidney sign), forty three patients of the group had a classical intussusceptions' mass during operative procedure, the rest (i.e. 2) had negative operative findings for intussusception.
5 of the patients, the ultrasonic findings were negative for intussusception preoperatively (no mass), but during surgery we found an intussusception mass.
CONCLUSION:
So ultrasound study in our hospital gives us sensitivity of 95.5% to diagnose intussusception