Abstract

Aim: Intussusception is one of the frequent causes of abdominal pain and intestinal obstruction in children. In this study, childhood intussusception cases encountered in a rural area in the last 5 years were evaluated and the results were compared with literature.

Material and Method: The data of 40 intussusception cases that were treated between January 2011 and December 2015 in a pediatric surgery department were evaluated retrospectively. Demographic features of the cases, diagnostic methods, type of treatment and lenght of hospitalization were evaluated. The data was statistically analyzed by KruskalWallis test and Mann Whitney U test.

Result: Twenty eight patients were male and 12 were female. Mean age was 49 months. Main complaints on admission were vomiting (%80), abdominal pain (%85), bloody stools (%50), and abdominal mass (%45). Ultrasonography (US) was the main diagnostic tool in all cases. Plain x-rays and abdominal tomography were used in a few cases. While 29 patients had laparatomy, in the last two years 11 patients were treated succesfully by US guided hydrostatic reduction. There was no recurrence and no mortality in this series.

Conclusion: US guided hydrostatic reduction was performed successfully in children with good general condition and whithout any signs of peritonitis. National literature revealed that US guided hydrostatic reduction is being successfully used even in non-educational centers. Surgical interventions had been necessary in patients that had late diagnosis that led to complications and in unsuccessful cases.