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RACS ASC 2025
A rare case of ileocolic intussusception secondary to terminal ileitis in Crohn’s disease
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Institution: Northern Health - Victoria, Australia

Introduction: Intussusception is uncommon in adults and associated with a lesion in 92% of cases. Its occurrence in Crohn’s disease (CD) is even rarer especially in the absence of a mass lesion. We present a case of ileocolic intussusception causing small bowel obstruction (SBO) secondary to active terminal ileitis in CD in the absence of a mass lesion. Case: A 39-year-old female with CD affecting her terminal ileum presented with 24 hours of vomiting and generalised abdominal pain, and a raised C-Reactive Protein. A computed tomography of the abdomen demonstrated an ileocolic intussusception with SBO. She underwent a laparoscopic right hemicolectomy which found the terminal ileum and caecum intussuscepting distally into the hepatic flexure. There were also macroscopic signs of CD including fat wrapping and inflammatory lymph nodes. Pathological assessment showed ischaemic colon due to intussusception with mild active chronic terminal ileitis and microscopic features consistent with CD, without dysplasia or malignancy. There were also enlarged benign lymph nodes. Discussion: Only 5% of all intussusceptions occur in adults and 65% are associated with malignancy. For this reason, conservative management is not recommended and intussusception involving the colon should undergo oncological resection because of this risk. Only three other reports of ileocolic intussusception in CD have been published in literature but ours is the second reported case in the absence of a lead point mass. Conclusion: Intussusception in CD is rare and uncommon. Given increased incidence of malignancy in CD patients and 92% of cases associated with a mass lesion, oncological resection should be considered even in the acute abdomen.
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Dr Nelson Chen - , Dr David Chung - , Dr Asiri Arachchi - , Dr Toan Pham - , Dr Andrew Bui -