Colonoscopy-Assisted Intussusception Reduction in Children: A Case Series of 15 Patients

There are few reports on the therapeutic role of colonoscopy in correcting intussusception of childhood. In this report, we describe a case series of 15 children (14 boys and 1 girl) who presented with acute intussusception and were successfully treated by colonoscopy. The patients were referred to the gastroenterology clinic of Amir-Al-Momenin Hospital, Zabol, Iran from 2015 to 2018. The mean age of the patients was 36.6±28.7 months. After establishing the diagnosis, the patients underwent colonoscopic reduction of intussusception by an experienced gastroenterologist. Follow-up sonography was performed 24 hours following the procedure. A total of 6 recurrences were identified in 4 (26.7%) patients; the first recurrence was managed with a second colonoscopy, while the second recurrence (2 patients) was managed with surgical reduction. Accordingly, colonoscopic reduction yielded an overall success rate of 86.6%. Given that colonoscopy provides visual access in a real-time setting, it can be used as either a primary option or an alternative to radiologic and surgical procedures for intussusception reduction in children.