Intussusception of the appendix: comprehensive review of the literature.
BACKGROUND
Intussusception of the appendix is a rare disease that constitutes a diagnostic challenge to the surgeon. The literature on this condition is limited to case reports. The demographics, presentation, and treatment remain debatable in the absence of a comprehensive review of the literature.


METHODS
This article reports a case of a 40-year-old woman who presented with intussusception of the appendix caused by endometriosis. A comprehensive review of the English literature in PubMed was performed. The trends in incidence, sex predilection, presentation, and treatment of appendiceal intussusception were derived based on the reports of 191 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence was more common in adults (76%) than in children (24%). Female patients (72%) were 2 times more affected in adults than in children, whereas male patients (58%) seem to be more affected in the pediatric population. Intussusception of the appendix has most commonly a chronic presentation (63%). Endometriosis (33%) and inflammation (76%) were the most common pathologic findings in adults and children, respectively. Only 49% of patients were treated by simple appendectomy; 49% patients underwent partial colectomy; and 2% of patients had their appendixes endoscopically removed.
Chaar
Cassius Iyad Ochoa
CI
Department of General Surgery, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, United States.
Wexelman
Barbara
B
Zuckerman
Kaye
K
Longo
Walter
W
D000328:Adult; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000379:methods*; D001065:Appendix; D002429:Cecal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002432:Cecum / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum / Q000601:surgery*; D007443:Intussusception / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed