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Introduction: acute intestinal intussusception is a life-threatening surgical condition. In some settings, rotavirus vaccines have been associated with a low-level increased risk of intussusception. We describe the epidemiology, clinical manifestations and management of intussusception in a tertiary referral hospital in Burkina Faso prior to the introduction of rotavirus vaccine in October 2013., Methods: we retrospectively reviewed medical records of all children under 5 years of age treated at the Charles de Gaulle Pediatric Hospital for intussusception meeting the Brighton level 1 diagnostic criteria, from October 31st, 2008 to October 30th, 2013. We report the incidence of intussusception as well as descriptive characteristics of these cases., Results: a total of 107 Brighton level 1 intussusception cases were identified, representing a hospital incidence of 21.4 cases / year. There were 69 males and 38 females (sex ratio of 1.8), with a median age of 8 months (range 2 months to 4 years). Sixty-two percent of intussusception cases occurred among infants (n = 67 cases). The average time from symptom onset to seeking medical consultation was 3.8 days +/- 2.7 (range 0 to 14 days). Treatment was mainly surgical (105 patients, 98.1%) with 35 patients (32.7%) undergoing intestinal resection. Thirty-seven patients (35.5%) experienced post-operative complications. The mortality rate was 9.3%. Intestinal resection was a risk factor for death from intussusception., Conclusion: in this review of intussusception hospitalizations prior to rotavirus vaccine introduction in Burkina Faso, delays in seeking care were common and were associated with mortality., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (©Tapsoba Wendlamita Toussaint et al.)

Introduction: recipients of monovalent rotavirus vaccine have a low risk of developing intussusception (IS) in high- to medium-high-income countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, Zambia included, this risk of IS has not been assessed. Two-dose monovalent rotavirus vaccine, introduced in Zambia in 2012 in the capital of Lusaka, and rolled out countrywide in 2013, is administered at 6 and 10 weeks of age with no catch-up dose. Active IS surveillance monitoring in children < 2 years has been ongoing in Zambia since July 2009 and additional retrospective review was conducted from 2007- June 2009., Methods: retrospective review (January 2007-June 2009) and prospective (July 2009-December 2018) IS surveillance was conducted at nine hospitals and four large paediatric hospital departments in Zambia, respectively. Demographic and clinical data were collected from medical folder abstraction and supplemented by parental interview during prospective surveillance., Results: a total of 248 children < 2 years with IS were identified; 57.3% were male. Most cases with IS were infants (85.5%). IS admissions remained stable during the surveillance period with no seasonality pattern although an increase in cases occurred between August and October, hot dry season. The median time from symptom onset to presentation for treatment was 2 days and 63.6% (154/242) of IS diagnoses were made during surgery. The bowel resection rate was 46.6%. A high CFR of 23.3% was observed., Conclusion: the number of intussusception cases in Zambia was relatively small and remained stable over the 12-year study period. However, a high CFR was observed among cases., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (©Evans Mwila Mpabalwani et al.)

Introduction: intussusception surveillance was initiated in Tanzania in 2013 after monovalent rotavirus vaccine was introduced, as part of the 7-country African evaluation to assess whether the vaccine was associated with an increased risk of intussusception. An increased risk from vaccine was not identified. Published data on intussusception in Tanzanian infants are limited., Methods: prospective intussusception surveillance was conducted at 7 referral hospitals during 2013-2016 to identify all infants with intussusception meeting Brighton Level 1 criteria. Demographic, household and clinical data were collected by hospital clinicians and analyzed., Results: a total of 207 intussusception cases were identified. The median age of cases was 5.8 months and nearly three-quarters were aged 4-7 months. Median number of days from symptom onset to admission at treatment hospital was 3 (IQR 2-5). Seventy-eight percent (152/195) of cases had been admitted at another hospital before transfer to the treating hospital. Enema reduction was not available; all infants were treated surgically and 55% (114/207) had intestinal resection. The overall case-fatality rate was 30% (62/206). Compared with infants who survived, those who died had longer duration of symptoms before admission to treatment hospital (median 4 vs 3 days; p < 0.01), higher rate of intestinal resection (81% [60/82] vs 44% [64/144], p < 0.001), and from families with lower incomes (i.e., less likely to own a television [p < 0.01] and refrigerator [p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Tanzanian infants who develop intussusception have a high case-fatality rate. Raising the index of suspicion among healthcare providers, allocating resources to allow wider availability of abdominal ultrasound for earlier diagnosis, and training teams in ultrasound-guided enema reduction techniques used in other African countries could reduce the fatality rate., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (©Mwajabu Mbaga et al.)

Introduction: intussusception is a condition in which one segment of the bowel prolapses into another causing obstruction. Information on the epidemiology of intussusception in sub-Saharan Africa is limited. We describe the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of children with intussusception in Ethiopia., Methods: active surveillance for children < 12 months of age with intussusception was conducted at six sentinel hospitals in Ethiopia. Limited socio-economic and clinical data were collected from enrolled children. Characteristics among children who died and children who survived were compared using the Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables and Chi-square tests for categorical variables., Results: total of 164 children < 12 months of age with intussusception were enrolled; 62% were male. The median age at symptom onset was 6 months with only 12 (7%) of cases occurring in the first 3 months of life. Intussusception was reduced by surgery in 90% of cases and 10% were reduced by enema; 13% of cases died. Compared to survivors, children who died had a significantly longer time to presentation to the first health care facility and to the treating health care facility (median 3 days versus 2 days, p = 0.02, respectively)., Conclusion: the high mortality rate, late presentation of intussusception cases, and lack of modalities for non-surgical management at some facilities highlight the need for better management of intussusception cases in Ethiopia., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (©Amezene Tadesse et al.)

Introduction: intussusception in South African (SA) children is often severe. A proportion of cases require management at quaternary hospitals which are a scare resource in SA. A geospatial investigation of severe paediatric intussusception (SPI) in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province of SA would assist with identifying regions which should be targeted for preventative interventions. This could reduce resource utilisation for this condition at quaternary hospitals. The objective of this study was to determine the geospatial distribution of SPI in KZN., Methods: this was a retrospective analysis of data for patients with SPI who were admitted to a quaternary hospital in KZN over an 11-year period. Data related to patient demographics, duration of hospitalization, surgical intervention, inpatient mortality and residential postal code were extracted from the electronic hospital admissions system. Each residential postal code was linked to a corresponding KZN district municipality. Descriptive statistical methods were used to determine the distribution of various characteristics in the study sample. Semi-quantitative geospatial analysis was used to determine the distribution of patients with SPI in each KZN district municipality., Results: the study sample consisted of 182 patients with SPI. Most patients were <1 year old (83.5%), male (51.1%) and black African (87.9%). All patients underwent surgical intervention. Inpatient mortality was 2.7%. The majority of patients in the study sample resided in the eThekwini and King Cetshwayo district municipalities (51.1% and 14.8%, respectively)., Conclusion: preventative interventions for SPI should be considered for rollout in the eThekwini and King Cetshwayo district municipalities of KZN, SA., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright: Yoshan Moodley et al.)

Background: Variable intestinal segments of children may need resection due to congenital or acquired conditions. Resection is done when these intestinal segments are nonviable or dysfunctional. In HICs most resections are for congenital conditions while in LMICs acquired and largely preventable conditions predominate.The spectrum of acquired intestinal conditions leading to bowel resection may also vary between HICs and LMICs., Objectives: To determine the indications, types and outcomes of intestinal resection for acquired conditions in children., Methods: A retrospective review of pediatric bowel resections from acquired anomalies over a 10-year period in a tertiary hospital. Data entry and analysis done using SPSS. Fisher's exact test was used to assess level of significance for categorical variables and p-value of <0.05 was adjudged significant. Results are presented as means±SD, ratios, percentages and tables., Results: Fifty-nine males and thirty-three females with a median age of 8 months were recruited. Complicated intussusceptions and right hemicolectomy were the most common indication and procedure respectively. Proportion of right hemicolectomies was more in infants than older children (p=0.0103) while ileal resection was higher in older children (p<0.001). Post-operative complications were seen in 35.8% and mortality rate was 8.7%., Conclusion: Complicated intussusception is the main acquired indication for intestinal resection. Right hemicolectomies and ileal resections were done mainly during infancy and beyond infancy respectively.

Purpose: In high-income countries the presentation and treatment of intussusception is relatively rapid, and most cases are correctable with radiographically-guided reduction. In low-income countries, many delays affect outcomes and surgical intervention is required. This study characterizes the burden and outcome of pediatric intussusception in Uganda., Methods: Prospective case series of intussusception cases from May 2015 to July 2016 at a tertiary referral hospital in Uganda., Results: Forty patients were included in the study. Male to female ratio was 3:2. Average duration of symptoms before presentation was 4.5 days. Median duration of symptoms in referred patients was 4 days and 2 days in non-referred patients (P value 0.0009). All 40 patients underwent surgical treatment: 25% had resection and enterostomy, 15% had resection and primary anastomosis, 2.5% had resection, primary anastomosis and enterostomy and 57.5% underwent manual reduction. Mortality was 32% and febrile patients on admission were 20 times more likely to die (P value 0.040)., Conclusion: Intussusception carries a high operative and mortality rate in Uganda. Referred patients presented later than non-referred patients to health facilities. Fever on examination at admission was positively associated with mortality. This disease remains a target for quality metrics in global pediatric surgery., Type of Study: Diagnostic study., Level of Evidence: III., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Morbidity and mortality from intussusception, the leading cause of bowel obstruction in infants, is higher in Africa than in other regions of the world, but the reasons have not been well examined. We sought to identify risk and protective factors associated with death or intestinal resection following intussusception., Methods: Infants with intussusception from 7 sub-Saharan African countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) were enrolled through active, hospital-based surveillance from February 2012 to December 2016. We examined demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic factors associated with death or intestinal resection following intussusception, using multivariable logistic regression., Results: A total of 1017 infants <1 year of age with intussusception were enrolled. Overall, 13% of children (133/1017) died during the hospitalization, and 48% (467/966) required intestinal resection. In multivariable analyses, female sex [odds ratio (OR) 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-3.3], longer duration of symptoms before presentation (OR 1.1; 95% CI 1.0-1.2), and undergoing intestinal resection (OR 3.4; 95% CI 1.9-6.1) were associated with death after intussusception. Diagnosis by ultrasound or enema (OR 0.4; 95% CI 0.3-0.7), and employment of a household member (OR 0.7; 95% CI 0.4-1.0) were protective against intestinal resection., Conclusions: Delays in hospital presentation and female sex were significantly associated with death, whereas higher socioeconomic status and availability of radiologic diagnosis reduced likelihood of undergoing resection. Efforts should be intensified to improve the awareness, diagnosis, and management of intussusception in sub-Saharan African countries to reduce morbidity and mortality from intussusception in these resource-limited settings.

Background: In some countries that have introduced oral rotavirus vaccines, a small but elevated risk of intussusception-a rare bowel disorder-has been reported. Updated estimates on the global epidemiology of intussusception are needed to help predict the potential number of intussusception cases that could be caused by the vaccine in different settings., Methods: We estimated incidence rates, age distributions and case-fatality ratios (CFRs) for intussusception hospital admissions among children aged <5 years, before the introduction of rotavirus vaccines. We included all articles identified in a systematic review between January 2002 and January 2018, and contacted authors for more granular unpublished data on age distributions., Results: We identified 128 articles containing 227 country datasets (61 age distributions, 71 incidence rates and 95 CFRs). The median age of intussusception ranged from 29 weeks in Africa (83% of cases in the first year of life) to 70 weeks in the Western Pacific region (35% of cases in the first year of life). The median (range) annual incidence of intussusception hospital admissions per 100 000 aged <1 year ranged from 34 (13-56) in Africa to 90 (9-380) in the Western Pacific region. We found extreme differences between the CFRs in Africa (1 death in every 10 hospital admissions) and the rest of the world (fewer than 1 death in every 100-2000 hospital admissions)., Conclusion: Intussusception epidemiology varies by country and region. Understanding and recognizing these differences will be important when assessing the potential number of intussusception cases associated with rotavirus vaccines., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.)

Intussusception is the invagination of one segment of the bowel into a distal segment, characterized by symptoms of bloody stool, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Previous studies have found regional differences in incidence but the etiology of most intussusception cases is unknown. Rotavirus vaccines were associated with a slightly of increased risk of intussusception in post-licensure evaluations in high- and middle-income countries, but not in low income African countries. To describe the baseline epidemiology of intussusception in young children prior to rotavirus vaccine implementation, active sentinel hospital surveillance for intussusception in children < 2 years of age was conducted in 4 low income Asian countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Vietnam). Over a 24-month period, 15 sites enrolled 1,415 intussusception cases, of which 70% were enrolled in Vietnam. Overall, 61% of cases were male and 1% (n = 16) died, ranging from 8% in Pakistan to 0% in Vietnam. The median age of cases enrolled ranged from 6 months in Bangladesh and Pakistan to 12 months in Vietnam. The proportion of cases receiving surgical management was 100% in Bangladesh, 88% in Pakistan, 61% in Nepal, and 1% in Vietnam. The high proportion of males and median age of cases around 6 months of age found in this regional surveillance network are consistent with previous descriptions of the epidemiology of intussusception in these countries and elsewhere. Differences in management and the fatality rate of cases between the countries likely reflect differences in access to healthcare and availability of diagnostic modalities. These baseline data will be useful for post-rotavirus vaccine introduction safety monitoring., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Postlicensure evaluations have identified an association between rotavirus vaccination and intussusception in several high- and middle-income countries. We assessed the association between monovalent human rotavirus vaccine and intussusception in lower-income sub-Saharan African countries., Methods: Using active surveillance, we enrolled patients from seven countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) who had intussusception that met international (Brighton Collaboration level 1) criteria. Rotavirus vaccination status was confirmed by review of the vaccine card or clinic records. The risk of intussusception within 1 to 7 days and 8 to 21 days after vaccination among infants 28 to 245 days of age was assessed by means of the self-controlled case-series method., Results: Data on 717 infants who had intussusception and confirmed vaccination status were analyzed. One case occurred in the 1 to 7 days after dose 1, and 6 cases occurred in the 8 to 21 days after dose 1. Five cases and 16 cases occurred in the 1 to 7 days and 8 to 21 days, respectively, after dose 2. The risk of intussusception in the 1 to 7 days after dose 1 was not higher than the background risk of intussusception (relative incidence [i.e., the incidence during the risk window vs. all other times], 0.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], <0.001 to 1.16); findings were similar for the 1 to 7 days after dose 2 (relative incidence, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.16 to 1.87). In addition, the risk of intussusception in the 8 to 21 days or 1 to 21 days after either dose was not found to be higher than the background risk., Conclusions: The risk of intussusception after administration of monovalent human rotavirus vaccine was not higher than the background risk of intussusception in seven lower-income sub-Saharan African countries. (Funded by the GAVI Alliance through the CDC Foundation.).

Rotavirus vaccines, Rotarix and RotaTeq, are increasingly being introduced in national immunization programmes in Africa to prevent severe dehydrating acute gastroenteritis. A low-level risk of intussusception has been associated with rotavirus vaccines. We reviewed published data on intussusception in children <2 years of age in Africa. PubMed electronic database search was used to retrieve papers published on intussusception. The search was further refined to identify surveillance reports and case series conducted from 1980 to 2014, with at least 25 cases. The initial search identified 34 studies, and the refined search yielded 16. Intussusception occurred naturally in infants 2-4 months and peaked around 5-8 months of age. Delayed presentation was common and required surgical intervention in 87% (1008 of 1158) of cases with a high CFR, 10-33.7%. In African children, intussusception has been reported infrequently at a young age when the first dose of rotavirus vaccine is administered., (© The Author [2016]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

To describe the epidemiology of intussusception before introduction of the rotavirus vaccine, we reviewed the records of 280 patients younger than 5 years who were hospitalized in Kenya between 2002 and 2013. The patients who died (18 [6.4%]) had sought care later after symptom onset than the patients who survived (median, 5 vs 3 days, respectively; P = .04). Seeking prompt care may improve therapeutic outcomes., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Introduction: Rotavirus is the main etiologic agent of acute infectious diarrhea in children worldwide. Considering that a rotavirus vaccine (G1P8, strain RIX4414) was added to the Brazilian vaccination schedule in 2006, we aimed to study its effectiveness and safety regarding intestinal intussusception., Methods: A quasi-experimental trial was performed in which the primary outcome was the number of hospitalizations that were presumably due to acute infectious diarrhea per 100,000 children at risk (0-4 years old). The secondary outcomes included mortality due to acute infectious diarrhea and the intestinal intussusception rates in children in the same age range. We analyzed three scenarios: Health Division XIII of the State of São Paulo (DRS XIII) from 2002 to 2008, the State of São Paulo, and Brazil from 2002 to 2012., Results: The averages of the hospitalization rates for 100,000 children in the pre- and post-vaccination periods were 1,413 and 959, respectively, for DRS XIII (RR=0.67), 312 and 249, respectively, for the State of São Paulo (RR=0.79), and 718 and 576, respectively, for Brazil (RR=0.8). The mortality rate per 100,000 children in the pre- and post-vaccination periods was 2.0 and 1.3, respectively, for DRS XIII (RR=0.66), 5.5 and 2.5, respectively, for the State of São Paulo (RR=0.47), and 15.0 and 8.0, respectively, for Brazil (RR=0.53). The average annual rates of intussusception for 100,000 children in DRS XIII were 28.0 and 22.0 (RR=0.77) in the pre- and post-vaccination periods, respectively., Conclusions: A monovalent rotavirus vaccine was demonstrated to be effective in preventing the hospitalizations and deaths of children that were presumably due to acute infectious diarrhea, without increasing the risk of intestinal intussusception.

Intussusception is one of the most common causes of acute abdominal conditions requiring surgical therapy in infants and babies. Due to the breakthroughs of pediatric intensive care and imaging methods, which may sometimes replace therapeutic methods, this condition, which used to be associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, is now more easily detected and treated immediately, even by non-surgical means. Nevertheless, there still is a high percent of cases in whom the diagnosis is set relatively late and who require laborious surgical procedures and extensive intestinal resections. These cases have high morbidity rates, the condition sometimes has a negative course and the patients die. We conducted an analytical retrospective study on a group of 49 patients diagnosed with intussusceptions, hospitalized and treated in the Pediatric Surgery Ward of the Children's Hospital of Iaşi City during 5 years. Although the demographics and clinical presentation of our patients is largely in agreement with literature data, we note that 69.4% of the patients came to the hospital 24 hours after the onset of their symptoms, which delayed diagnosis setting, ruled out non-surgical therapy and thus led to a high rate of postoperative complications (24.5%) and also to a high mortality rate (6.6%).

Background: Intussusception, a rare adverse event associated with rotavirus vaccines in some settings, is a common cause of intestinal obstruction in infants and toddlers globally with a peak age of 4-6 months. This age group may overlap with the extended age of administering rotavirus vaccine., Methods: A retrospective (January 2007 to June 2009) and prospective (July 2009 to June 2012) survey was conducted in 9 Zambian hospitals. Children between 0 and 24 months who were operated on for intestinal obstruction/intussusception were identified in theatre log books. In the latter part of the survey, patients were recruited prospectively. Demographic, clinical and surgical data from hospital files were collected for each patient., Results: One-hundred and five children were identified to have undergone surgery for intussusceptions. Many were boys 57.6% (57/99). Of those with complete data, intussusception was common in infants 86.9% (86/99) and many children (68.0%) were between 3 and 8 months of age with a peak age of 5-6 months. Lusaka had the highest number of children with intussusception with an estimated annual incidence rate of 12/100,000 in children <2 years of age. The overall case fatality rate was very high 33.7% (31/92)., Conclusion: Intussusception was common in infants with a peak age of 5-6 months, and of particular concern is the group of 2-4 months the age of rotavirus vaccination. The estimated incidence rate of 12/100,000 is an underestimate as many cases may not present for care. The high case fatality rate of 33.7% is due to both delayed presentation and diagnosis in hospital.

Objective: To study diagnostic pitfalls, morbidity and mortality of adult intussusception., Patients and Methods: Retrospective study of adult patients records operated between 1979 and 2007 with the diagnosis of adult intussusception., Results: We found 41 cases of adult intussusception. The mean age was 35.2 years (standard deviation (SD)=7.1). The delay between onset and medical consultation was 15 days. The diagnosis was made pre-operatively in 11 cases. Abdominal ultrasound showed an abdominal mass in 11 cases. Ileo-ileal intussusception was most frequent (16 cases). Intussusception was secondary in 24 cases. There were seven instances of intestinal necrosis. Intestinal resection was performed in 34 cases. Surgical site infection occurred in four patients, three patients died., Conclusion: The pre-operative diagnosis of acute intestinal intussusception is difficult. Morbidity and mortality rates are high. Improved diagnostic investigations in developing countries could improve the prognosis of this condition., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: With the recent postlicensure identification of an increased risk of intussusception with rotavirus vaccine, the 14 Latin American countries currently using rotavirus vaccine must now weigh the health benefits versus risks to assess whether to continue vaccination. To inform policy considerations, we estimated excess intussusception cases and mortality potentially caused by rotavirus vaccine for each of the 14 countries and compared these estimates to hospitalizations and deaths expected to be averted through vaccination., Methods: We used regional rotavirus disease burden and rotavirus vaccine efficacy data, global natural intussusception and regional rotavirus vaccine-related risk estimates, and country-specific diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussus vaccination coverage rates to estimate rotavirus vaccine coverage rates. We performed a probabilistic sensitivity analysis to account for uncertainty in these parameters., Results: For an aggregate hypothetical birth cohort of 9.5 million infants in these 14 countries, rotavirus vaccine would annually prevent 144 746 (90% confidence interval [CI], 128 821-156 707) hospitalizations and 4124 deaths (90% CI, 3740-4239) due to rotavirus in their first 5 years of life but could cause an additional 172 hospitalizations (90% CI, 126-293) and 10 deaths (90% CI, 6-17) due to intussusception, yielding benefit-risk ratios for hospitalization and death of 841:1 (90% CI, 479:1 to 1142:1) and 395:1 (90% CI, 207:1 to 526:1), respectively. In an uncertainty analysis using 10 000 simulations of our probabilistic parameters, in comparing rotavirus disease averted to intussusception events caused, the hospitalization ratio was never below 100:1, and our death ratio fell below 100:1 only once., Conclusions: The health benefits of vaccination far outweigh the short-term risks and support continued rotavirus vaccination in Latin America.

Objective: We examined data from 1979-2007 to generate up-to-date baseline estimates of rotavirus intussusception mortality in US infants, to inform policy deliberations of the risks and benefits of vaccination., Study Design: Secular trends in the infant intussusception mortality rate were evaluated using national multiple cause-of-death and natality data from 1979- 2007. Linked birth/infant death data from 1998-2006 were examined to identify risk factors for intussusception deaths., Results: After declining from 1979-1996, the average annual intussusception mortality rate stabilized from 1997-2007 at 2.1 per 1 million live births (range, 1.0-3.0). In multivariate analysis, significant variables associated with intussusception deaths included no prenatal care (OR, 5.4; 95% CI, 1.9-15.4) and birth order (≥3rd) (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.4-4.4 [reference: birth order (1st)])., Conclusions: Given the annual variation in intussusceptions mortality and low baseline rates, if a low vaccine-associated risk of death from intussusception exists in the United States, it would be difficult to assess using intussusception mortality trend data alone. Factors associated with intussusception mortality risk may be related to delayed or reduced health care access., (Published by Mosby, Inc.)

Background: Because postlicensure surveillance determined that a previous rotavirus vaccine, RotaShield, caused intussusception in 1 of every 10,000 recipients, we assessed the association of the new monovalent rotavirus vaccine (RV1) with intussusception after routine immunization of infants in Mexico and Brazil., Methods: We used case-series and case-control methods to assess the association between RV1 and intussusception. Infants with intussusception were identified through active surveillance at 69 hospitals (16 in Mexico and 53 in Brazil), and age-matched infants from the same neighborhood were enrolled as controls. Vaccination dates were verified by a review of vaccination cards or clinic records., Results: We enrolled 615 case patients (285 in Mexico and 330 in Brazil) and 2050 controls. An increased risk of intussusception 1 to 7 days after the first dose of RV1 was identified among infants in Mexico with the use of both the case-series method (incidence ratio, 5.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.0 to 9.3) and the case-control method (odds ratio, 5.8; 95% CI, 2.6 to 13.0). No significant risk was found after the first dose among infants in Brazil, but an increased risk, albeit smaller than that seen after the first dose in Mexico--an increase by a factor of 1.9 to 2.6 - was seen 1 to 7 days after the second dose. A combined annual excess of 96 cases of intussusception in Mexico (approximately 1 per 51,000 infants) and in Brazil (approximately 1 per 68,000 infants) and of 5 deaths due to intussusception was attributable to RV1. However, RV1 prevented approximately 80,000 hospitalizations and 1300 deaths from diarrhea each year in these two countries., Conclusions: RV1 was associated with a short-term risk of intussusception in approximately 1 of every 51,000 to 68,000 vaccinated infants. The absolute number of deaths and hospitalizations averted because of vaccination far exceeded the number of intussusception cases that may have been associated with vaccination. (Funded in part by the GAVI Alliance and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.).

Background: Adult intussusception is infrequently encountered in Asians. The diagnosis is often late because of the variable presentation. The optimal treatment is not universally agreed upon., Purpose: To determine the causes and management of this uncommon entity in India., Methods: A retrospective review of patients with postoperative diagnosis of intussusception between March 2003 and March 2008 was conducted in a tertiary care centre in North India. Data relating to diagnosis, treatment and histopathology was analyzed., Results: Twenty-seven patients, aged 15-72 years with 28 intussusceptions were studied. Four patients (14.29%) had acute presentation, 16 (57.14%) subacute and 7 (25%) had chronic symptoms. The most common type of intussusception was enteroenteric. A diagnosis of intussusception on contrast enhanced computed tomogram was made in 84% and a lead point was identified in 89%. A causative factor could be identified in 89% (25 out of 28 intussusceptions) which was malignant in 37% and benign in 48%. The most common underlying malignant lesions were adenocarcinoma (50%), and lymphoma (25%). Among benign lesions, small bowel polyps were the most common (57%). All cases underwent surgical intervention. Bowel resection was performed in 89%. There was no mortality., Conclusion: Our series highlights a high frequency of a demonstrable cause of intussusception in a tropical country. Overall our results are similar to those reported from other countries. Resection of the involved bowel is recommended because of high incidence of underlying pathology., (Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Purpose: To document the clinicopathological features of paediatric intussusception caused by acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-associated Kaposi sarcoma (KS)., Methods: Clinicopathological features of six patients with AIDS-KS-associated intussusception were obtained retrospectively from departmental and hospital records., Results: Six debilitated male children, without cutaneous KS, were presented with abdominal pain and vomiting for >1 week. Intussusception was the sentinel of HIV infection in five patients. One patient had been on HAART for 13 months. Three patients each had ileal and ileocolic intussusceptions; two had recurrent intussusception. Bowel resection was performed because of failed reduction, infarction and polypoid lead points in all patients, in addition to perforation and peritonitis in three. Five patients died, the immediate cause being massive hematochezia from anorectal KS and/or septic shock. One patient, who received post-surgical chemotherapy and HAART, is currently in remission. Pathologic examination confirmed intussusception due to KS., Conclusion: AIDS-KS-associated intussusception occurred without cutaneous KS. Resection of the infarcted segment may relieve the presenting obstruction, but recurrent intussusception may occur because every elevated KS is a potential lead point. AIDS-KS-I is rare but fatal in children, unless timely surgical intervention, optimal histopathological diagnosis, and appropriate medical management, including HAART and chemotherapy, are facilitated.

This study was to determine clinical entity of adult intussusception, focusing on discrepancies among previous studies and to retrospectively investigate the factors associated with malignancy and survival for 10 years. In our study, 3.7% (N=42) of intussusception were adults. The most common symptom was acute abdominal pain (64.3%). Enteric, ileocolic, ileocecal, and colocolic intussusception included 52.4, 9.5, 14.3, and 23.8% of patients, respectively. Two patients (9.1%) with enteric (N=22), no patient with ileocolic (N=4), three patients (50%) with ileocecal (N=6), and five patients (50%) with colocolic (N=10) intussusception were malignant. The factor associated with malignancy was only chronic abdominal pain without acute abdominal pain (P = 0.018) and the absence of fever and ileocecal intussusception were associated with survival (P=0.010, 0.009). In our study, the most common symptom was acute abdominal pain, and enteric intussusception was the most common type. The difference in clinical presentation and location of intussusception might have resulted from small number of cases or selection of cases., (© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2008)

To facilitate the assessment of the safety profile of rotavirus vaccines effectively, baseline data on intussusception are important for comparison with intussusception rates following the introduction of vaccine. The aim of the study was to describe epidemiological and clinical features of intussusception in children aged less than five years in an Indian medical facility. Hospital data on intussusception for children discharged during 1 January 2001-30 June 2004 from the Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, India, were reviewed. Relevant information was extracted from medical records to classify cases according to the criteria of the Brighton Collaboration Intussusception Working Group. Complete review of medical records for clinical and demographic information was only performed for those cases fulfilling level 1 diagnostic certainty (definite intussusception) (Study ID 101245). During the surveillance period, 31 infants and children with definite intussusception were identified. The majority (61.2%) of the cases occurred in the first year of life. The male : female ratio was 3.4 : 1. Intussusception cases occurred round the year with no distinct seasonality. No intussusception-associated death was recorded. This study provides baseline data on intussusception in South India. Cases identified in the study were similar in presentation and demographics as those observed in other Asian settings. Prospective surveillance systems, using standardized case definitions will further increase the understanding of the aetiology and epidemiology of intussusception, especially as new rotavirus vaccines are made available.

Introduction: Recently developed rotavirus vaccines have the potential to reduce diarrhea mortality in children in developing countries. Available data to date do not indicate risk of intussusception with these new vaccines. To avoid a potential unanticipated risk post-licensure, it is recommended that rotavirus immunization be initiated before 12 weeks of age when background intussusception rates are low. This policy could exclude a substantial number of children from vaccination, especially in developing countries where delays in vaccination are common., Methods: We conducted a scenario analysis to assess the potential benefits of mortality reduction from rotavirus versus the risk of fatal intussusception when the first dose of the vaccine is strictly administered by 12 weeks of age compared with a free strategy with vaccine administered before 1 year of age using data on rotavirus disease, vaccine safety and efficacy, and current diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccination rates, and by incorporating hypothetical risks of intussusception., Results: In developing countries, assuming vaccine efficacy of 50% and 75% for doses 1 and 2, respectively, and a hypothetical sixfold and threefold increased relative risk of intussusception within 7 days of doses 1 and 2, respectively, initiating rotavirus immunization before 12 weeks of age would prevent 194,564 of the 517,959 annual rotavirus-associated deaths among children <5 years, while potentially resulting in 1106 fatal intussusception events. Administration of the first dose to infants up to 1 year of age would prevent an additional 54,087 rotavirus-associated deaths (total=248,651) while potentially resulting in an additional 1226 intussusception deaths (total=2332)., Conclusion: In developing countries, the additional lives saved by broadening the age restrictions for initiation of rotavirus vaccination would far outnumber the hypothetical excess intussusception deaths that would accompany such an approach.

Aim of the Study: To report our experience in the management of acute intestinal intussusceptions in adults., Patients and Methods: Retrospective study of data of patients older than 15 years who were operated on for acute intestinal intussusceptions from January 1997 to December 2001., Results: Twelve of the patients were males and eight females with an average age of 41 years (range: 16-71). The clinical and radiological findings were suggestive of bowel obstruction (N = 14), peritonitis (N = 5) and appendicular abscess (N = 1). Correct preoperative diagnosis of acute intestinal intussusceptions was established in 6 cases. Type of intussusception was jejunojejunal (N = 1), ileo-ileal (N = 8), ileocolic (N = 1), ileocecocolic (N = 7) and colocolic (N = 3). Necrosis was found in the intussusceptum in 10 cases and a tumor on the lead point in 14 cases (5 benign lesions and 9 malignant ones). For intussusception involving the colon, all patients underwent en bloc resection with immediate anastomosis, while intussusception located on the small bowel were treated by surgical reduction (N = 1), en bloc resection (N = 8) with immediate (N = 7) or delayed (N = 1) anastomosis. The mortality rate was 15%., Conclusion: In our experience, intussusceptions in adults is not an uncommon clinical entity but correct diagnosis is often established peroperatively. En bloc resection is recommended because of the frequency of neoplasms and bowel ischemia.

Objective: To review the management of childhood intussusception at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret and identify factors that require attention for improved outcome., Design: A retrospective descriptive study covering the period January 2000 to December 2003., Setting: Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret., Patients: Thirty six children., Results: Of the 36 children, 28 (78%) were males and eight (22%) females giving a ratio of 3.5:1. Median age was six months with a range of 2-72 months. The duration of symptoms was a mean of 5 days with a range of 1-14 days. Sixty one percent were referrals. Initial diagnosis of intussusception based on signs and symptoms was made in 6 out of 36 (17%) patients. The rest were initially treated for other problems. Decision to refer to surgeons, was based on abdominal distension. Plain x-ray was done in four patients and barium enema in one patient. Seventy five percent of the patients required fluid resuscitation before operation. All patients (100%) were managed operatively. Seventy two percent had ileo-colic intussusception, 8% ile-oileal and 22% colo-colic. Perforation was found in 22% and gangrene in 31%. Sixty seven percent were successfully reduced by "milking" while 33% required resection and anastomosis/or stoma creation. Complications included: anastomatic breakdown, bronchopneumonial renal failure, sepsis, recurrent intussusception and death. Mortality was 14% overall., Conclusion: Early diagnosis and presentation coupled with improved peri-operative management are essential in improving outcome.

Infants with intussusception in tropical Africa frequently present late. Intestinal resection for gangrene or perforation may warrant a right hemicolectomy. Over a period of 11 year, 15 (45.5%) of 33 infants with intussusception required bowel resection, 10 of which were right hemicolectomies. The age range of those who had right hemicolectomy was 3-9 months (median 6 months) and duration of symptoms 3-8 days (median 6 days). In addition to features of intussusception, seven (78%) infants were dehydrated and one was anaemic. Six (67%) of 9 infants developed procedure related complications postoperatively. Four (44%) had anastomotic dehiscence, associated with abdominal wound dehiscence in 2. In 3 of the patients, the anastomosis leaked again following repeat resection and anastomosis, necessitating relaparotomy and stoma formation. One (11%) patient each had wound infection and prolonged ileus respectively. Six (67%) patients died, including the 4 who had anastomotic dehiscence. The cause of death was overwhelming infection in 4 patients and aspiration of vomitus in two patients. Recommendations are made to minimize morbidity and mortality in these infants.

Search of the autopsy files of the Department of Histopathology at the Women's and Children's Hospital (WCH), Adelaide, Australia for cases of intussusception from January 1961 to December 1995 revealed two deaths due to intussusception out of a total of 4,384 autopsies (0.05%). Both cases occurred in infants (aged five months and six months respectively) who had only non-specific and apparently minor manifestations of illness, until precipitate deterioration occurred. The intussusceptions were ileo-ileal and ileocaecal in location, respectively. A total of 204 cases of intussusception were found in a search of 28,123 surgical pathology cases (0.73%) at the WCH over the 20-year period from 1976 to 1995. Mesenteric lymphadenopathy was found in 16 cases (including one with possible Yersinia infection), Meckels diverticulum in 14, isolated gastric/pancreatic heterotopia in two, cystic fibrosis in two and Henoch-Schonlein purpura in one. Although it has been shown that unexpected death is more likely to occur in older children with purely small intestinal intussusception, the current cases demonstrate that unexpected death may occur at any age, with intussusception at any level. The autopsy assessment of deaths due to intussusception requires careful evaluation of cases for evidence of local or systemic disease, particularly given the hereditary nature of certain predisposing conditions. Careful review of the presenting history is also required to assess the quality of care received by the child in the time preceding death.

Context: The newly licensed tetravalent rhesus-human reassortant rotavirus vaccine has been withdrawn following reports of intussusception among vaccinated infants., Objective: To describe the epidemiology of intussusception-associated hospitalizations and deaths among US infants., Design: This retrospective cohort study examined hospital discharge data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey for 1988-1997, Indian Health Service (IHS) for 1980-1997, California for 1990-1997, Indiana for 1994-1998, Georgia for 1997-1998, and MarketScan for 1993-1996, and mortality data from the national multiple cause-of-death data for 1979-1997 and linked birth/infant death data for 1995-1997., Patients: Infants (<1 year old) with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code for intussusception (560.0) listed on their hospital discharge or mortality record, respectively., Results: During 1994-1996, annual rates for intussusception-associated infant hospitalization varied among the data sets, being lowest for the IHS (18 per 100 000; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 9-35 per 100 000) and greatest for the National Hospital Discharge Survey (56 per 100 000; 95% CI = 33-79 per 100 000) data sets. Rates among IHS infants declined from 87 per 100 000 during 1980-1982 to 12 per 100 000 during 1995-1997 (relative risk =7.6, 95% CI = 3.2-18.2). Intussusception-associated hospitalizations were uncommon in the first 2 months of life, peaked from 5 to 7 months old, and showed no consistent seasonality. Intussusception-associated infant mortality rates declined from 6.4 per 1 000 000 live births during 1979-1981 to 2.3 per 1 000 000 live births during 1995-1997 (relative risk = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.8-4.3). Infants whose mothers were <20 years old, nonwhite, unmarried, and had an education level below grade 12 years were at an increased risk for intussusception-associated death., Conclusions: Intussusception-associated hospitalization rates varied among the data sets and decreased substantially over time in the IHS data. Although intussusception-associated infant deaths in the United States have declined substantially over the past 2 decades, some deaths seem to be related to reduced access to, or delays in seeking, health care and are potentially preventable.intussusception, hospitalizations, deaths, risk factors, infants.

Objective: To evaluate risk factors and to describe clinical and laboratory findings, surgical management, and postoperative outcome for cattle with intussusception., Design: Hospital-based, case-control epidemiologic study and retrospective case series., Sample Population: Medical records of cattle admitted to 17 veterinary medical teaching hospitals in North America., Procedure: Epidemiologic analysis of demographic data and detailed analysis of medical records for selected cattle., Results: 336 cattle with intussusception were identified, 281 had small intestinal, 7 had ileocolic, 12 had cecocolic, and 36 had colocolic intussusceptions. Sex and season were not significantly associated with cattle developing intussusception, whereas calves < 2 months old were at greater risk of developing small intestinal intussusception than older cattle. Analysis of medical records of 57 cattle with intussusception revealed that these cattle were mildly hyponatremic, hypochloremic, hypocalcemic, azotemic, and hyperglycemic. Right flank laparotomy with a cow in a standing position, followed by intestinal resection and end-to-end anastomosis was the most common means of surgical correction. Overall survival rate (20/57; 35%) and postoperative survival rate (20/46; 43%) for cattle with intussusception were much lower than previously reported., Clinical Implications: Although rare in cattle, intussusception was most common in calves < 2 months old. Survival rate for cattle treated for intussusception was low (< 50%).

Fifty consecutive cases of children with intussusception treated at a hospital in a developing country were compared with 50 consecutive cases treated at an American inner city children's hospital and 50 consecutive cases treated at an American referral children's hospital. The plan was to recommend ways of improving the treatment of children with intussusception in the developing world. Nonoperative reduction was attempted in the two American hospitals but was not available in the developing world hospital where all children were treated operatively. Children in the developing world hospital had a significantly longer duration of symptoms, an increased incidence of nonviable bowel, and a mortality of 18%. There were no deaths in either American hospital. The poorer outcome for developing world children was related to delay in treatment, the higher incidence of nonviable bowel, and the lack of adequate nursing care for acutely ill children. The use of nonoperative reduction would not have significantly improved the mortality rate among the developing world children. The mortality can best be reduced by: (1) earlier recognition and treatment of the intussusception; and (2) improvement in the postanesthetic care with better monitoring leading to prompt recognition and treatment of postoperative complications.

Intussusception is common in infants aged 5 to 18 months, but there have been only 12 reports of its occurrence among premature infants. Nine of these previously reported cases with adequate data and one new case are reviewed. Many of the infants were believed to have necrotizing enterocolitis, leading to an average 12-day interval between the onset of signs and the operation. Bilious emesis or nasogastric contents, bloody stool, and intestinal dilation without pneumatosis intestinalis were common. A contrast enema showed the intussusception in only 1 of 7 cases. Most cases were diagnosed in the operating room and underwent successful primary anastomosis, with no recurrences. A pathological lead point was identified in 2 of the 10 cases. The overall mortality rate was 23%; the one death since 1970 was secondary to attempted hydrostatic reduction. These cases may represent what, in the absence of premature delivery, would have been the intrauterine development of intussusception likely leading to small bowel atresia.

We present the results from 233 consecutive patients treated for intussusception at the Children's Hospital of Coimbra over a 13-year period (between 1/6/77 and 31/5/90). Males outnumbered females (66.5% vs 33.5%) and 87.9% of the cases occurred within the first year of life. Among the presenting signs and symptoms, abdominal pain occurred in 87.9% and vomiting in 81.5%. The presence of currant-jelly stools was less common, but noted in 67.3%. Hydrostatic barium enema was performed in 94.4% of the patients with the aim being both diagnostic and therapeutic, successful reduction was achieved in 57.7%. One hundred and twenty-one patients were operated on with specific pathologic lesion found in 11.5% of them. Complications occurred only in the group submitted to surgery. Six children were reoperated on. Most intussusceptions were of the ileocecocolic variety. The overall recurrence rate was 3.8% (3% recurrent intussusceptions followed barium enema reduction and 0.8% followed manual reduction). Mortality rate was 2.5% (1.7% related to intussusception).

Intussusception is one of the commonest causes of intestinal obstruction in infants and accounts for about 700 hospital admissions each year in England and Wales. Improved results of treatment have followed recent technological developments, which include ultrasonographic imaging and pneumatic reduction techniques. Most intussusceptions can be reduced successfully without the need for operation but close cooperation between surgeon and radiologist is essential. Mortality and morbidity rates from the condition have progressively declined in recent decades but avoidable deaths still occur.

Objective: To assess the incidence of potentially avoidable factors contributing to death of children with intussusception., Design: Review of children who died with intussusception in England and Wales between 1984 and 1989 from data of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, case notes, coroners' records, and necropsy reports., Main Outcome Measures: Unambiguous objective criteria such as failure to diagnose intussusception within 24 hours of admission., Results: 33 children died of acute intussusception in England and Wales between 1984 and 1989 compared with 67 in the previous six years. Their median age was 7 months (range 2 months to 12 years), and two thirds were boys. Half of the deaths occurred at home or soon after arrival at hospital but 15 patients had surgery. Potentially avoidable factors contributing to death were identified in 20 (61%) children, all but three of whom had ileocolic intussusception. These factors were excessive delay in diagnosis, inadequate intravenous fluid and antibiotic therapy, delay in recognising recurrent or residual intussusception after hydrostatic reduction, and surgical complications. Of the 13 patients in whom no avoidable factors were identified, there were nine of 11 children with isolated small bowel intussusception, who tended to have atypical presentations., Conclusion: Although the mortality from intussusception has declined, there remains ample opportunity for improved management.

From January 1987 to November 1990, 125 adult Saguinus mystax died at the CRCP. Enteritis/colitis (26%), hypoglycemia/cachexia (19%), and parasitic enteritis (13%) were the most common causes of death. Less common were purulent peritonitis (9%), lobular pneumonia (8%), and hemorrhagic gastroenterocolitis (6%). These results confirm the high frequency of gastroenteric lesions reported in Callitrichidae in captivity.

The history of intussusception in Newcastle in a quarter of a century is presented by analysis of patient presentation and the results of management. The figures for the early years are incomplete, retrieved from one hospital in the area. For the years 1976-1988, all cases were managed by two paediatric surgeons who kept individual disease indices. One hundred and sixty-five episodes of intussusception in 153 patients were reviewed in this study. There was one death in the series, whereas there had been several in the years preceding it. There has been an improvement in the success of hydrostatic and later pneumatic reduction. These changes are attributed to the development of appropriate skills resulting from concentration of the management of this problem in the hands of paediatric surgeons and radiologists with special training and interest in paediatrics. Enema reduction has been used more aggressively in recent years and has widened criteria. In the series there were 8 patients with causal lead points, none associated with recurrence. The overall recurrence rate within the series was estimated at 8%. There seems to be a high incidence of intussusception in doctors' families.

This is a retrospective analysis of 82 patients of intussusception in infancy and childhood. Males were more than females in the ratio 2.4 : 1, the ages varied from 2 months to 12 years. Majority (73%) were less than 1 year old. Commonest presentations were pain, vomiting, distension, palpable lump and blood and mucus in stools. The management of these patients varied from barium enema reduction (3 cases), reduction by surgery and manipulation (59 cases) and resection with primary anastomosis (20 cases). We analysed our patients by giving scores based on clinical criteria. We concluded that the patients in our circumstances do not show any correlation of the scoring pattern with morbidity or mortality, chances of reduction by barium enema or manually. Resection, however, did correlate with a high incidence of death (75%). Resections were required slightly more in ileo-ileal intussusceptions than in those having a colonic involvement, morbidity in the form of wound dehiscence, and sepsis was higher in those patients who had undergone resections.

A retrospective review of 41 intussusceptions encountered in 39 children seen over an 8-year period in Ile-Ife, Nigeria is presented. Most cases (61.5%) occurred in infancy. This contrasts with previous reports from Nigeria where intussusception has been presented as being commoner in older children. Vomiting, abdominal pain, excessive crying and passage of bloodstained stools were the main presenting symptoms. An abdominal mass was palpable in only 28.2% of patients. Generally, patients presented late in hospital with only two (5.1%) arriving within 24 hours of the onset of illness. Hydrostatic reduction with barium enema was attempted in these two patients, and it successfully reduced the intussusception in one and caused partial reduction in the other. Nineteen patients (46.3%) required bowel resection. There were nine deaths, giving a mortality rate of 23.1%. The relatively high bowel resection and mortality rates were attributed to the delay in seeking medical treatment.

A retrospective study had been conducted on hospitalized infants and children in the Pediatric ward of Dr. Pirngadi Hospital, Medan from January 1, 1987 through December 31, 1988. The purpose is to assess the incidence and clinical manifestations of intussusception. During the same period, there were 6484 infants and children hospitalized, 39 (0.6%) with intussusception, consisting of 23 (58.9%) males and (41.1%) females. Most of the cases (53.85%) were in age group of 4-6 months. Thirty four patients (87.12%) were wellnourished, and 5 patients (12.82%) undernourished. The major symptoms of intussusception were bloody diarrhoea (87.17%), vomiting (82.05%) and abdominal distention (66.41%). Successful reposition with barium enema occurred in 1 (20%) out of 5 patients. The major symptoms of intussusception were bloody diarrhoea (87.17%), vomiting. Surgical intervention was performed in 22 patients (56.41%). The result was as follows: discharged in good condition in 15 (68.18%) and deaths occurred in the remaining cases (7 cases = 31.82%). Of those 7 cases who died after operation, 2 cases were hospitalized in less than 2 days, 3 cases in less than 3 days and the remaining 2 cases in more than 3 days, after the symptoms developed.

Having analyzed results of the treatment of 151 children with intussusception the authors made a conclusion that an irrational choice of the operation volume, wrong assessment of the viability of the intestine during the first operation may be responsible for relaparotomies. The application of transillumination methods of the assessment of the viability of the intestine resulted in rarer repeated operations (9,4% instead of 17,7%).

Most techniques described in animal models of pancreatic transplantation use either segmental or autotransplants. We employ a technique of pancreaticoduodenal allotransplantation in the dog that closely resembles the operation used in humans. The arterial supply of the entire pancreatic graft is preserved by procuring a Carrel patch of aorta encompassing the origin of the celiac and the superior mesenteric arteries. Splenic, inferior pancreaticoduodenal, and superior pancreaticoduodenal arteries remain intact with the graft. Venous drainage is through a short segment of portal vein. A 6-cm cuff of duodenum is taken with the head of the pancreas. Engraftment proceeds by placing the allograft within the peritoneal cavity of the recipient. End-to-side vascular anastomoses are constructed to distal aorta and inferior vena cava. The duodenal cuff is anastomosed to the dome of the bladder for drainage and analysis of exocrine secretions and to provide a port of entry for cystoscopically directed needle biopsy. A total pancreatectomy is performed to induce a state of diabetes. The average operating time is 5 h. Twenty-two dogs have undergone allotransplantation using this technique. Six dogs had no complications and were sacrificed after meeting criteria of their study protocol. There were three technical failures, two arterial thromboses and one exsanguination, yielding an 86% rate of successful engraftment. Three other dogs died of intussusception and three dogs died of sepsis, one secondary to wound dehiscence and one due to inadvertent common bile duct ligation during pancreatectomy. Wound problems, four dehiscences and two superficial infections, occurred only in immunosuppressed dogs.