Abstract

Objective: Intestinal invaginations are usually encountered during childhood, especially under age 2, but very rare in adults. The absence of wide patient series in literature causes the lack of standard treatment algorithm for this disease. Patients with invaginations which occur usually due to intraluminal lesions derived from intestinal wall present with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and findings of ileus.

Materials and Methods: A total of 33 adult patients with intestinal invagination, which were diagnosed and treated in departments of General Surgery of GATA (Ankara) and Erzurum Ataturk University, Faculty of Medicine retrospectively evaluated.

Results: Mean age was 36,5 years (range:16-80). Invaginations were found in small bowel in 24 patients, in large bowel in 4 patients, and in ileocolic area in 5 patients. Partial bowel resection was performed in 22 patients. Other surgical procedures preferred were deinvagination in 7 patients and deinvagination followed by an enterotomy and polipectomy in 4 patients. During early postoperative period, invagination was relapsed in one patient who underwent deinvagination before, and relaparatomy was performed. There was no major complication in other patients.

Conclusion: The first step to diagnose intestinal invagination is the consideration of invagination in the differential diagnosis, even in adults. Resection and anastomosis is the usual treatment procedure. There is still a debate on the deinvagination procedure.