Synonyms in a broader sense
Medical: intussusception, intestinal invagination English: intussusception
Definition
Invagination is a telescopic invagination of one section of the intestine into another. It occurs mainly in small children and can be life-threatening in the worst case. In infants and toddlers, intussusception can occur as a result of increased intestinal mobility or in connection with infections.
In this case, a portion of the intestine usually invaginates in the direction away from the mouth (aboral). This invagination can progress further due to the inherent movement of the intestinal wall (peristalsis). Since the wall of the intestine is folded during intussusception, the outflow of blood through the veins is impeded and blood congestion occurs, causing water from the vessels to enter the wall tissue (oedema) and float it up.
This further reduces the blood supply and symptoms of intestinal obstruction (ileus) can occur. This can lead to a life-threatening situation for the child, which is why rapid treatment of the intussusception in hospital is necessary. Depending on the anatomical location of the intussusception, different forms can be distinguished: The most common is the ileo-cecal intussusception, where the terminal part of the small intestine (ileum) is pushed into the appendix part of the large intestine (caecum).
In this case, appendicitis must also be considered when making the diagnosis. Other forms of intussusception are ileo-colical (small intestine in large intestine), ileo-ileal (small intestine in small intestine), colic (large intestine in large intestine) or ileo-ileo-colic (small intestine in small intestine and additionally in large intestine). In rare cases, a part of the stomach can also be invaginated into the esophagus, but this is more common in adults.
In 90% of cases, invagination occurs in infants and toddlers between 4 months and 3 years of age. Although rather unknown, intussusception is a relatively common disease: about 1 in 1000 children are affected every year. In most cases, an intussusception occurs without a recognizable cause (idiopathic).
- A high degree of intestinal mobility in the first years of life
- An intestinal infection (enteritis), usually caused by viruses (rotaviruses, adenoviruses)
- Or a special vascular inflammation (Purpura Schoenlein-Henoch)