Generality
Intussusception is the phenomenon whereby a portion of the intestine slides into another immediately adjacent portion of the intestine.
Intussusception is a serious medical condition that requires prompt treatment if the worst (intestinal blockage followed by intestinal perforation) is to be avoided.
The phenomenon of intussusception is more common in young individuals than in adults. In young people, its causes are often unknown; in adults, however, its triggers are always clearly identifiable and consist of conditions such as intestinal polyps, intestinal adhesions, Crohn's disease and intestinal tumors.
Typical symptoms of intussusception are: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, stools mixed with blood and mucus, fever, diarrhea and lethargy.
What is intussusception?
Intussusception is a serious medical condition characterized by the invagination (or prolapse) of a section of the intestine within an adjacent section of the intestine (this is usually a portion located downstream).
To better understand the phenomenon of intussusception, think of the telescopes once used for navigation and their lengthening and shortening mechanism, based on a composition of segments of increasing diameter that slide one inside the other.
In intussusception the same thing happens that happens during the shortening of these telescopes: during the shortening of these instruments, the smaller segments are inserted into the larger segments in a very similar way to how, during intussusception , a tract of intestine slips (in medical jargon, it is said that “prolapses”) inside a portion of the neighboring intestine.
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