Spontaneous Jejunal Intussusception after a Colectomy: A Rare Cause of Postoperative Intestinal Obstruction

Received August 8, 2007, Accepted March 13, 2008 Correspondence to: Seung-Yong Jeong, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, 809, Madu-dong, Ilsan-gu, Goyang 411-764, Korea Tel: +82-31-920-2480, Fax: +82-31-920-2002 E-mail: [email protected] Intussusception is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction in adults and is most often due to a primary abnormality of the bowel, which serves as the leading point. Idiopathic intussusception in adults is distinctly uncommon, comprising 10% of diagnosed intussusceptions. We report a case of a spontaneous jejunal intussusception in a 48-year-old man that developed shortly after an open colectomy. The 48-year-old man, with no history of a laparotomy, underwent a left hemicolectomy and a left hemihepatectomy for descending colon cancer with liver metastasis. For 14 postoperative days, the patient complained of ileus, and conservative management with a long intestinal tube failed. When the patient underwent a laparotomy, intussusception of the mid jejunum was observed. The intussusception was resected, and no underlying bowel abnormality was identified. This report highlights the importance of considering this rare etiology in patients with ileus who have recently undergone a laparotomy. J Korean Soc Coloproctol 2008;24:134-136