Imaging in intussusception

Imaging in intussusception

A plain abdominal field usually reveals evidence of small or large bowel obstruction with an absent caecal gas shadow in A barium enema may be used to diagnose the presence of an ileocolic intussusception but does not demonstrate small bowel intussusception. Abdominal ultrasonography has a high diagnostic sensitivity in children, demonstrating the typical doughnut appearance of concentric rings in transverse section. CT scanning is currently considered the most sensitive radio logical method to confirm intussusception, with a reported diagnostic accuracy of 58–100%. The characteristic features of CT scan include a ‘target’- or ‘sausage’-shaped soft-tissue mass with a layering e ff ect ( Figure 78.6 ); mesenteric vessels within the bowel lumen are also typical.