|
|
||||||||
1 Indiana University Department of Radiology, Riley Hospital for Children, 702 Barnhill Dr., Room 1053, Indianapolis, IN 46202.
Received June 15, 2005;
accepted after revision July 13, 2005.
Address correspondence to K. E. Applegate
(kiappleg{at}iupui.edu).
Abstract
|
|
|---|
This article uses case examples to review the current evidence for the management of children with clinically suspected intussusception.
Conclusion
In this educational module, we review the evidence for diagnostic and management strategies in children with clinically suspected intussusception.
|
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
| SELF-ASSESSMENT MODULE This article is qualified by the American Board of Radiology (ABR) in meeting the criteria for self-assessment toward the purpose of fulfilling requirements in the ABR Maintenance of Certification. To obtain SAM credit, visit www.arrs.org and navigate to AJR Integrative Imaging. Log in using your six-digit member number, which is located next to your name on the AJR mailing label. CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION This article is available for 1 hour of Category 1 CME credit. It is free to ARRS members and may be purchased by nonmembers for $10.00. Detailed information including objectives, disclosure information, and how to obtain CME credit can be found at www.arrs.org by selecting AJR Integrative Imaging.
|
|
|
|---|
| QUESTION 1 The pediatrician asks you whether another imaging test would help to sort out the cause of the baby's symptoms. Which of the following would you suggest?
|
Solution to Question 1
One of the most likely diagnoses in this age group is ileocolic
intussusception. The peak age for idiopathic intussusception is 510
months and typically ranges up to 3 years
[1,
2]. The most common clinical
presentation is of an infant with crampy abdominal pain and irritability,
vomiting, and bloody stools although signs and symptoms vary considerably and
overlap with other abdominal conditions. Intussusception is the most common
cause of small-bowel obstruction in children and occurs in at least 56
children per 100,000 per year in the United States
[1]. It is an emergent
condition where delay in diagnosis is not rare, and leads to an increased risk
of bowel obstruction and necrosis
[35].
The presence of a palpable abdominal mass in this scenario suggests the symptoms are not simply due to the more common pediatric diagnosis of viral gastroenteritis. Some articles have reported associations between intussusception and viral infection, particularly adenovirus, although the lack of seasonality suggests more than one pathogen [1].
Radiographs typically are ordered by the clinician to exclude other diagnoses. Even in experienced hands, abdominal radiographs have poor sensitivity (45%) for the detection of intussusception but may serve to screen for other diagnoses in the differential diagnosis, such as constipation, and for free peritoneal air [6]. The presence of a curvilinear mass within the course of the colon (the crescent sign), particularly in the transverse colon just beyond the hepatic flexure, is a nearly pathognomonic sign of intussusception. The absence of bowel gas in the ascending colon is one of the most specific signs of intussusception on radiographs [7]. However, small-bowel gas located in the right abdomen on radiographs may mimic ascending colon or cecal gas. There was no clinical indication of possible bowel perforation. Option A is not the best response.
Sonography increasingly is used by pediatric radiologists to diagnose either intussusception or alternative causes for a child's abdominal symptoms. Sonography also plays a role in the evaluation of reducibility of intussusception, the presence of a lead point mass, the potential incomplete reduction after enema (vs edema of the ileocecal valve), and of intussusception limited to small bowel [2, 8]. At this point in time, there are no reliable clinical prediction models that accurately can identify all patients with intussusception. The clinical triad of colicky abdominal pain, palpable abdominal mass, and current jelly stools is present in less than 50% of cases [2]. Therefore, option B is the best response.
Barium is no longer the liquid contrast medium of choice for reduction of intussusception due to the risk of barium peritonitis, infection, and adhesions if perforation occurs during the enema [912]. While iodinated contrast is considered a safer agent than barium [11, 12], one should be aware that it may produce fluid and electrolyte shifts if perforation occurs because contrast is absorbed from the peritoneum. Option C is not the best response.
|
Conclusion
The patient was referred for sonography. The sonogram was performed with a
high-frequency linear transducer for optimal visualization of the bowel. In
the right midabdomen, within the peritoneal cavity, there was a complex mass
with a target sign or donut appearance
(Fig. 1). This appearance
represents bowel within bowel, diagnostic of intussusception. The bowel walls
were thickened and color Doppler showed flow within the walls. After the
radiologists consulted the surgeon, the baby underwent successful iodinated
contrast enema reduction of his intussusception
(Fig. 2). The appearance of the
bowel after reduction was normal, without identifiable lead point. He was then
observed overnight in the hospital and discharged home the following
morning.
|
|
|
|---|
|
| QUESTION 2 Which one of the following predicts a decreased probability of successful enema reduction in children with intussusception?
|
Solution to Question 2
The most important factor that decreases the reduction rate of enema is the
duration of symptoms. The longer the duration of symptoms beyond 24 hr, the
lower the likelihood of successful contrast enema reduction. Most literature
suggests a significant delay is typically 48 hr of symptoms but some reports
suggest 24 or 72 hr [2,
24]. Option A is the best
response.
Age less than 3 months is associated with both a higher perforation rate and a lower rate of successful reduction, as is dehydration and small-bowel obstruction. These situations are less common [2, 6, 2426]. The lethargy, as seen in this child, is not rare when they become dehydrated. It is important to correct the child's dehydration to improve the enema intussusception reduction rate. Option B is not the best response.
| QUESTION 3 In which of the following situations is enema reduction of an intussusception not contraindicated?
QUESTION 4 What is the perforation rate during enema reduction of intussusception by experienced radiologists?
QUESTION 5 Which of the following enema techniques provides the highest intussusception reduction rate?
|
An intussusception encountered in the rectum has only a 25% reduction rate [2, 6, 2426], but intussusceptions encountered elsewhere in the colon, including the hepatic flexure, can be expected to have a successful reduction rate of approximately 80%. The most common location to encounter idiopathic intussusception is at the hepatic flexure. Option C is not the best response.
Abdominal distention may be seen in many children with intussusception but it is not known to decrease the enema success rate unless there is small-bowel obstruction. Option D is not the best response.
Solution to Question 3
All children should have surgical consultation before enema to assess for
signs of peritonitis precluding enema, to identify children who are found to
have perforation, and for postreduction management. Before enema reduction,
dehydration should be treated with IV fluid resuscitation. If the child is
clinically unstable, he or she should not undergo enema. Children with
evidence of peritonitis, shock, sepsis, or free air on abdominal radiographs
are not candidates for enema. These children should be stabilized and treated
surgically. Therefore, options A, B, and C are not the best
responses.
The presence of small-bowel obstruction reduces the probability of successful enema reduction but it is not a contraindication to performing the enema. Option D is the best response.
Solution to Question 4
The most important potential complication of enema is bowel perforation.
The risk of perforation depends on each radiologist's patient population and
technique. Several reports in both pig models and children suggest that there
may be preexisting focal perforation in the necrotic intussuscipiens or, less
commonly, the intussusceptum, that are rarely radiographically apparent as
free air [9,
24,
25,
2730].
The most common site is at or just proximal to the intussusception in the
transverse colon [30].
Perforations with air tend to be smaller than those with liquid enema although
the overall perforation rates are similar
[9,
28].
In a summary of the literature, there are 66 published studies with an overall mean perforation rate 0.8% (see Table 1) (Applegate KE, unpublished data). Option A is the best response. Options B, C, and D are not the best responses.
|
Solution to Question 5
The ultimate goal that radiologists should strive for is nonoperative
reduction for all children with idiopathic intussusception (approximately 95%
of cases) [24]. Yet this goal
remains elusive due to delays in presentation. Radiologists should strive for
enema reduction rates of at least 80%.
There is only one direct comparison of air and liquid enema reduction rates in children with intussusception. Meyer and colleagues [31] randomized 101 children and reported similar success rates of 76% for air and 63% for barium enema. However, the statistical power may have been inadequate to detect a true difference. In addition, the trial used sedation and had lower reduction rates than those not using sedation so the authors abandoned the use of sedation after this study.
The air enema is considered superior at reduction, cleaner (based on appearance of peritoneal cavity at surgery when perforation occurs), safer, and faster, with less radiation when compared with liquid enema [9, 11, 16, 3234]. In a summary of the literature, there were 32 studies using air reduction and 39 using liquid (barium, iodinated contrast, saline, or water) reduction techniques (Applegate KE, unpublished data). Air enema studies had significantly higher mean reduction rates as compared with liquid enema studies, 82% versus 68% (p < 0.001) (Table 2). Option C is the best response. Options A, B, and D are not the best responses.
|
The air enema technique is well described in the literature [16, 33, 35]. Briefly, the enema tip should be placed within the child's rectum and taped in place with abundant tape. The child is placed in a prone position to allow the radiologist or assistant to squeeze the buttocks closed and prevent air from leaking. Air is rapidly insufflated into the colon under fluoroscopic observation. Once the intussusception is encountered (Fig. 4), its reduction is followed fluoroscopically until it is completely reduced. Air should flow freely from the cecum into the distal small bowel loops to signify complete reduction. One critical safety issue is to keep air pressure below a maximum limit of 120 mm Hg to avoid the risk of perforation [9, 10, 16].
|
There is no direct evidence supporting the commonly taught "Rule of Threes" regarding the liquid enema technique, particularly the appropriate height of the enema bag [24, 36]. This general guideline for the liquid enema technique, often taught to radiology residents, is 3 attempts of 3 min duration, with the liquid enema bag at 3 feet above the fluoroscopy table.
|
Conclusion
This girl had a long duration of symptoms (> 4 days), making it less
likely that the enema will successfully reduce her intussusception. Her
sonogram made the correct diagnosis, did not identify a pathologic lead point,
and in addition provided further information about the probability of enema
reduction. The probability of bowel necrosis and enema failure is suggested
when color Doppler images show no flow within the intussusception bowel wall
or when there is trapped intraperitoneal fluid. The sonogram showed the
presence of trapped intraperitoneal fluid within the intussuscipiens. The girl
in our case had an unsuccessful enema and underwent surgical reduction with
bowel resection.
Del-Pozo and colleagues [8] reported sonography in 145 children with intussusception and found that fluid seen inside the intussusception represented trapped peritoneal fluid and was associated with significantly fewer reductions on enema, and bowel ischemia at surgery (Fig. 5) [39].
Lack of color Doppler signal in the intussuscepted bowel wall has suggested bowel ischemia in several small series [4042]. The presence of free intraperitoneal fluid in small or moderate amounts is present in approximately half of children with intussusception and does not predict a lower enema success rate [22].
|
|
|---|
| QUESTION 6 Which of the following is the most appropriate management for this boy?
QUESTION 7 What percentage of intussusceptions recurs following reduction by enema?
|
Solution to Question 6
This baby boy had a recent intussusception and now has symptoms suggesting
a recurrence. Fifty percent of children who develop recurrent intussusception
will present within 48 hr, although recurrences have been reported up to 18
months later [11].
If the clinical concern is for recurrent intussusception, there is little added information gained by abdominal radiography. Radiographs may show alternative diagnoses or obstruction but if the clinical concern is for recurrent intussusception, sonography is the most reliable test. Option A is not the best response.
CT to detect intussusception is not currently recommended unless there is concern for a pathologic lead point that could not be identified on sonography. Option B is not the best response.
There is no question that sonography to screen for intussusception is a valid imaging test. However, in this situation, the pretest probability is high for the diagnosis of intussusception and, therefore, enema would be the reasonable next step. Repeat enema is both safe and effective in recurrent intussusception [2, 10, 43, 44] as long as the child remains clinically stable. Option C is the best response.
If the patient is not clinically stable or has signs of peritonitis, then the patient should undergo surgical reduction. Since our patient presents without concerns for perforation or peritonitis, he can undergo enema reduction of a recurrent intussusception. Option D is not the best response.
Solution to Question 7
Intussusception recurrence rates average 10% in large series, with a range
of 5.4% to 15.4%, [2,
45], regardless of air versus
liquid enema technique. The recurrence rates are less than or equal to 5% when
surgical reduction is performed, presumably due to the development of
adhesions [43]. Option B is
the best response. Options A, C, and D are not the best responses.
| QUESTION 8 Which statement is TRUE regarding recurrent intussusception?
|
Solution to Question 8
The risk of a pathologic lead point in children with recurrent
intussusception is low. In one large series of 763 children with
intussusception, 8% of those with recurrent intussusception had a pathologic
lead point (5/69) [11]. This
risk is only slightly higher than the reported 56% incidence of
pathologic lead points at first presentation of intussusception
[2]. No predictive clinical
factors have been identified for pathologic lead point in these children with
recurrent intussusception. No clear risk factors are known for why some
children have recurrences although some do have a focal pathologic lead point.
Those with diffuse bowel abnormalities (diffuse pathologic lead points) and
ileocolic intussusception, such as children with cystic fibrosis,
Henoch-Schönlein purpura, or celiac disease, may be treated with enema
reduction more aggressively than those with focal pathologic lead points to
avoid surgery. Option A is not the best response.
Reduction with air enema was possible in up to 95% of recurrences in the largest reported experience and did not have a higher perforation rate than that reported for nonrecurring intussusception [2, 11]. Options B and C are not the best responses.
Repeat enema is both safe and effective in recurrent intussusception [2, 10, 43, 44] as long as the child remains clinically stable. Option D is the best response.
Conclusion
The baby had recurrent ileocolic intussusception that was encountered in
the hepatic flexure region at enema. This is the most common location to
encounter the idiopathic intussusception. It was successfully reduced with
fluoroscopic-guided enema. Again, the baby was observed in the hospital for
the day and when he showed that he could feed well without vomiting, he was
discharged home.
|
|
|---|
| QUESTION 9 The pediatrician is concerned that she might have a Meckel's diverticulum because of her unexplained anemia. Which of the following is the best imaging test to recommend for her?
|
Solution to Question 9
Approximately 56% of intussusceptions in children are caused by
pathologic lead points that are due to either focal masses or diffuse bowel
wall abnormality. The most common focal pathologic lead points are (in
decreasing order of incidence) Meckel's diverticulum, duplication cyst, polyp,
and lymphoma [2,
3,
46]. The relative prevalence
of pathologic lead points with intussusception is higher in children over the
age of 3 years, particularly for lymphoma
[2].
Most symptomatic Meckel's diverticula, particularly those that are associated with intestinal bleeding, will have ectopic gastric mucosa. The imaging test with the highest overall accuracy in the detection of Meckel's diverticulum is the nuclear medicine pertechnetate study. It has a reported 85% sensitivity, 95% specificity, and accuracy of 90% [47]. Option A is the best response.
The detection of lead points by imaging remains problematic, and there are no studies that report the accuracy of CT scan to diagnose Meckel's diverticulum. Since children with Meckel's diverticulum are often young enough to require sedation for the CT scan, it carries more risk, cost, and radiation exposure. Option B is not the best response. Sonography is the noninvasive standard of reference. Sixty-six percent of pathologic lead points may be identified at sonography and 40% of pathologic lead points may be diagnosed on liquid enema [3, 48]. Air enema has a lower rate of detection of pathologic lead points of 11% [49]. However, sonography is not the preferred test for diagnosing a Meckel's diverticulum. Option C is not the best response.
While the small-bowel follow through may detect a Meckel's diverticulum, it is well known for missing this diagnosis. Option D is not the best response.
|
|
Some surgeons may request enema reduction in children with known pathologic lead points; even if it only partially reduces, it may decrease the laparotomy incision size [24, 44, 50, 51].
|
|
|---|
|
The CT scan showed a large mass in the retroperitoneum of the left upper quadrant, tumor caking of the bowel wall of the distal ileum, and two small-bowel intussusceptions (Fig. 7). A biopsy of the large mass revealed Burkitt's lymphoma. A few days after chemotherapy, this tumor had markedly reduced in size and the intussusceptions resolved.
|
|
|---|
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
H Williams Imaging and intussusception Arch. Dis. Child. Ed. Pract., February 1, 2008; 93(1): 30 - 36. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |