Interest of ultrasound in the hydrostatic treatment of acute intussusception

Abstract

Background: The acute intussusception is a typical emergency in pediatric surgery. Its diagnosis is easy thanks to the contribution of the ultrasound. Aim: The objective of this study is to evaluate the management of acute intussusception by highlighting the different therapeutic modalities and by emphasizing the contribution of ultrasound in the treatment. Methods: Retrospective study of 142 intussusception patients over 13 years. Results: 92 boys and 50 girls with a median age of 13 months. Hydrostatic reduction under radioscopic control was applied for 90 children (63.4%) with 75 successful (83.4%). Hydrostatic reduction under ultrasound guidance was attempted for 38 patients (26.8%) with a success rate of 78.9%. No significant difference between the two techniques (p=0.7). Conclusions: The necessity of little material, absence of irradiations and relatively low cost make the hydrostatic reduction under ultrasound guidance a technique of choice.