THREE CASES OF INTUSSUSCEPTION OF THE SMALLINTESTINE CAUSED BY AN ILEUS TUBE

Adult cases of intussusception often have organic diseases including tumors and inflammation of the intestine. We rarely see adult intussusception probably due to an ileus tube in the literature. This paper describes our experience with three cases of such rare intussusception. In one case intussusception occurred during indwelling of an ileus tube for aspiration therapy of intestinal obstruction. In the remaining two cases, intussusception developed after drawing out an ileus tube which was inserted preoperatively as splinting tube to prevent postoperative intestinal obstruction and was left untouched. All invaginated sites were found out in the jejunum. One case demanded excision of the intestine, but the remaining two cases were successfully reduced by Hutchinson's procedure. No organic diseases were noted in the lead of the intussusception, and hence it was thought that the indwelt ileus tube might cause intussusception in these cases. One of these cases was treated 3.5 months after the onset of the deseases. The ileus tube should be used cautiously by observing symptomatic changes even after removal of the tube in terms of possible association of intussusception.