value of ultrasound in the prediction of non-surgical reducibility of pediatric intussusception

ABSTRACT

Intussusception is the most common cause of mechanical bowel obstruction in infants and, if diagnosed early, it can be reduced by the hydrostatic pressure of barium or saline or by air enema. In this study, we show that ultrasound measurement of thickness of the edematous middle layer of the mass of intussusception can be a reliable index to predict whether the intussusception can be reduced non- surgically. The study was performed on 24 cases, the average of edema thickness in non-surgically reducible cases being 6.8 mm, while in those in which non-surgical reduction was not possible, this average was 10.4 mm. In 11 patients we used barium enema, and in 13 patients air was used to reduce intussusception. With barium, the success rate was 18%, while with air it was 46%. The diagnostic accuracy of intussusception by ultrasound was 100%. The average time interval between onset of symptoms and the patients' referral to our center was 3.3 days. Ultrasonography can be a valuable tool in the diagnosis and proper management of pediatric intussusception