What are the causes of intussusception?
90% are idiopathic and the rest are caused by pathologic lead points in children which include Meckel diverticulum, duplication cyst, polyp and lymphoma.
What are some complications of this process?
Complications include obstruction, bowel ischemia, perforation and peritonitis. The mesentery can be incorporated into the intussusception compromising venous return resulting in oedema and restriction to blood flow. Eventually arterial supply to the bowel is interrupted and ischaemia and necrosis ensues.
A 4 cm mass in the left upper quadrant with pseudokidney sign.
Transverse image shows round mass with alternating concentric rings of hyper- and hypoechogenicity representing bowel wall and mesenteric fat.
Longitudinal image shows a mass that has a reniform appearance, with a central hyperechoic region surrounded by a hypoechoic region.