Cecal carcinoma presenting with adult intussusception

ABSTRACT

Adult intussusception is an uncommon cause of bowel obstruction. It usually presents with longstanding, intermittent and non-specific symptoms with subsequent delay in diagnosis and management. Diagnosis is often made at emergency laparotomy and an underlying lesion is found in most cases. With more frequent use of computed tomography in the evaluation of patients with abdominal pain, the condition can now be diagnosed more reliably at an earlier stage and this is of importance as 50% of adult intussusceptions are due to malignancy. We report a case of a 55-year-old lady who presented to the emergency department with ileocolic intussusception which was diagnosed on CT scan and necessitated an emergency right hemicolectomy. The leading point was a small cecal cancer reflecting the importance of early intervention and resection in cases of adult intussusception. This case also highlights the fact that early cecal cancer may first present and declare itself as intussusceptions