Abstract
A 57-year-old woman who had a previous history of appendectomy visited a hospital because of abdominal pain. Following and abdominal plain x-ray examination, she was diagnosed with intestinal obstruction and was admitted to our hospital. Abdominal distension was noted, but there were no muscle defense and rebound tenderness. No tumor was palpable. Abdominal CT scan revealed a finding suggestive of lamellar structure of the small intestine in the left pelvic cavity. Adhasive intestinal obstruction or intussusception of the small intestine was likely based on CT findings. As she had mild symptoms, conservative therapy was started but was unsuccessful. On the second hospital day anal bleeding appeared as well, so that surgery was performed.
Preoperative barium enema and colonoscopy to confirm colorectal lesions showed no abnormalities. Upon laparotomy, intussusception had already been reduced, but a part showing prominent inflammatory change was present at the ileum. We etiologically considered that the ileo-ileal intussusception had been reduced by preoperative barium enema and colonoscopy, and partial resection of the ileum was performed. No organic lesions including a tumor were involved in the resected intestine. Idiopathic enteric intussusception was thus diagnosed.
