Part UT Health San Antonio
UT Health San AntonioUT Health San Antonio

UTSA Part of UT Health San Antonio

Contact Us | 210-450-9000

Menu
  • Find a Provider
  • Services
  • Cancer Types
  • Locations
  • Patient Care
  • Cancer Center
  • MyChart
  • X
  • Conditions
  • Conditions In-depth
  • Procedures
  • Wellness Centers
  • Natural & Alternative
  • Drug Info
  • Procedure Animations
  • Wellness Videos
Symptom CheckerQuick Nav
 
Health Library Home>Disease, Condition, & Injury Fact Sheets>Article

Intussusception

by Cynthia M. Johnson, MA
Definition
Causes
Risk Factors
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention

Definition

Intussusception is when one part of the intestine slides up into another part of the intestine. This creates a blockage and makes it hard for the intestines to work as they should.

Intussusception
Nucleus factsheet image

Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.

Causes

The cause is not always known in most children. Rarely, it is triggered by a health problem, such as:

  • A viral infection
  • Meckel diverticulum
  • Intestinal polyps
  • Lymphoma
  • Cystic fibrosis

Risk Factors

Intussusception is more common in children less than 12 months old. It is also more common in males. Other things that may raise the risk are:

  • Having a health problem that can trigger intussusception
  • Abdominal trauma or surgery
  • Bacterial and parasitic infections
  • Antibiotic use
  • Rotavirus vaccine (uncommon)

Symptoms

Problems are:

  • Severe belly pain that may cause a child to pull his or her knees up to chest
  • Vomiting, often yellow or green in color
  • Stools mixed with mucus and blood
  • Irritability
  • Crying
  • Lack of alertness

Diagnosis

You will be asked about your child's symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. This is often enough to make the diagnosis.

Images may be taken of your child's belly to confirm the diagnosis. This may be done with ultrasound.

Treatment

Intussusception is an emergency that must be treated right away to avoid severe problems. The goal of treatment is to unblock the intestine so that it can work the way it should. This may be done with:

  • A small, soft tube in the rectum that delivers air or a solution with contrast material to unblock the intestine
  • Surgery to release the trapped part of the intestine and remove any tissue damage

Prevention

There are no guidelines for preventing intussusception.

RESOURCES:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov

Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians
http://www.familydoctor.org

CANADIAN RESOURCES

About Kids Health—The Hospital for Sick Children
http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca

Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca

REFERENCES:

Abdominal pain in infants. Healthy Children—American Academy of Pediatrics website. Available at: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/abdominal/Pages/Abdominal-Pains-in-Infants.aspx. Updated November 21, 2015. Accessed September 21, 2017.

Edwards EA, Pigg N, et al. Intussusception: past, present and future. Pediatr Radiol. 2017 Aug;47(9):1101-1108.

Intussusception. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/condition/intussusception. Updated April 23, 2019. Accessed January 10, 2020.

Intussusception. Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians website. Available at: http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/intussusception.html. Updated January 4, 2018. Accessed January 10, 2020.

Questions and answers about intussusception. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/rotavirus/about-intussusception.html. Updated January 27, 2017. Accessed January 10, 2020.

Last reviewed September 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Kari Kassir, MD  Last Updated: 9/2/2020

EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at healthlibrarysupport@ebsco.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days.

Copyright ©  EBSCO Information Services
All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | Editorial Policy
Physicians and care providers of
UT Health San Antonio

8300 Floyd Curl Dr.

San Antonio, TX 78229

210-450-9000

Connect with us
  • Patient Rights and Responsibilities
  • Language Assistance
We make lives better ©

We're a part of UT Health San Antonio, provider of comprehensive health,  dental, &  cancer care,  advanced academics  and  life-saving research.

Web Privacy | Links from websites affiliated with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio's website (uthscsa.edu) to other websites do not constitute or imply university endorsement of those sites, their content, or products and services associated with those sites. The content on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Health information on this site is not meant to be used to diagnose or treat conditions. Consult a health care provider if you are in need of treatment.