Management of Acute Intestinal Intussusception in Infants and Children at the Nianankoro Fomba Hospital in Segou

Introduction: Acute intestinal intussusception is a medical-surgical emergency. It is the main etiology of intestinal obstructions in infants. Its diagnosis is essentially clinical in its typical form with ultrasound confirmation. Care still remains problematic in developing countries where delay in care impacts morbidity and mortality. Our work aims to evaluate the epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of acute intestinal intussusception. Materials and Method: It was a 3-year retrospective and descriptive study from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2024, including patients aged 0 to 15 years operated on for acute intestinal intussusception in the pediatric surgery department at Nianankoro Fomba Hospital in Segou. Results: We recorded 40 cases, representing an annual frequency of 13.3 cases. The average age was 2 years 5 months. There was a male predominance (24 cases). The sex ratio was 1.5. The average consultation time was 3.2 days. Thirty percent (30%) of patients had an altered general condition. The functional signs were dominated by vomiting (87%), paroxysmal cries (62.5%), and rectal bleeding (52.5%). The classic triad was present in 40% of cases. The intussusception sausage was palpable at 57.5% and prolapsed through the anus at 7.5%. Abdominal ultrasound was performed in 72.5% of cases. The treatment was surgical for all patients. The ileo-colic form (ileo-caeco-colic and transvalvular ileo-colic) represented 75% of cases. Manual desinvagination was performed in 65%, and resection-anastomosis in 35%. Postoperative complications were the abscess of the surgical site in 3 cases, including a case of recurrence of intussusception on day 6, then an eventration at 1 month. The average length of hospitalization was 6.6 days. Conclusion: The management of acute intestinal intussusception remains a challenge in our context. Improving your prognosis requires early diagnosis and treatment.