ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the role of ileocecal valve in children patients with intussus-ceptions by colonoscopy after pneumatic air enema reduction. Methods A total of 106 intussusceptions chil dren patients, who recovered with pneumatic air edema reduction, were recruited to the study. They underwent colonoscopy within 12 hours after reduction. The control group was composed of 103 children patients with both diarrhea and hematochezia. There was no significant difference in age, sex or weight between the two groups.Colonoscopic findings were recorded in terms of slack, swelling, prolapsus, lymphoid hyperplasia and mucosal lesions in ileocecal valve. Results In patients with intussusceptions, the rates of ileocecal valve slack, swelling including prolapsus, lymphoid hyperplasia and mucosal lesions were 61.3%, 33. 9%, 100. 0% and 31.1%, respectively, which were significantly different with those of the control group (P ＞ 0. 05 ). When further divided intussusceptions patients into groups with age more than 1 yr or less, significant differences were also observed in regarding of these features. Conclusion There is a close relationship between morphological and functional changes in ileocecal valve and intussusceptions in children. Ileocolic intussusceptions in patients younger than 1yr is more likely to be due to slack of ileocecal valve, while that in patients older than 1yr is mainly due to swelling or prolapse of ileocecal valve, represented by ileocecal intussuception.