ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Adult intussusception is relatively rare and it's course is subacute or chronic course. It usually occurs secondary to tumors or other underlying cause. Especially the incidence of associated malignancy is increasing compare to the past. Purpose of this study was review of adult intussusception, our comprehension of the disease improved by and helped to plan treatments METHODS: During the past 11 yeasrs, from January, 1987 to December, 1997, 27 cases of adult intussusception at Department of Surgery, Presbyterian Medical Center were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The age incidence was variable. But it occurred more frequently at 4th decades. Useful radiologic diagnostic tools were CT, U/S as well as barium enema. Nineteen instances of intussusception originating in the small bowel and 8 instances originating in the colon. The etiologic factors were found in 22 cases (74%). Of the 19 small bowel intussusception, 5 cases were associated with malignancy and 3 out of 8 colon intussusception were result from the malignancy. The common malignancy in small bowel was lymphoma and that in colon was adenocarcinoma. Surgical intervention was carried out in all of these 27 cases: 20 cases underwent surgical resection and 7 cases were reduced manually after surgical exploration; Only manually reduction was performed in 4 cases, manually reduction and cecopexy in 2 cases and manually reduction and adhesiolysis in 1 case. CONCLUSION: The malignancy was the major cause of adult intussusception. Especially in colonic intussusception, occupational percentage of malignancy was higher. The common malignancy in small bowel was lymphoma and that in colon was adenocarcinoma. So, we cosidered plans of treatments according to location, etiology and bowel state.