Adult intussusception: is associated bowel gangrene common?
The patients presented in the series are distinct from cases reported earlier in literature in term of late presentation, manifesting as acute intestinal obstruction, high frequency of associated intestinal gangrene, and absence of associated intestinal malignancy. Patients presenting with features of intestinal obstruction and abdominal lump should be subjected to urgent imaging studies to examine the possibility of intussusception. The high frequency of bowel gangrene encountered in patients of adult intussusception mandates prompt surgical intervention soon after diagnosis.
We hypothesize that this anatomic anomaly may also constitute a possible unrecognized mechanism in which shoulder pain is generated. Further studies focused at various races and the presence of this peculiarity are now needed to confirm our findings. In addition, unexplained chronic shoulder pain may be explored with vascular studies aimed at identifying the course of the suprascapular artery.