Objectives: To compare and contrast the symptomatology and the anatomical type of the intussusception in children and adults in Zaria.
Design: Retrospective study.
Setting: Hospital.
Subjects: 93 patients with intussusception.
Main outcome measures: Frequency of intussusception.
Results: Colicky abdominal pain featured often enough in both groups with most symptoms and signs decreasing in frequency from infancy to adulthood. The ratio of small bowel to large bowel disease in infants, older children and adults was 1;8:1, 0;6:1 and 1:1 respectively. Infantile intussusception involving the small bowel was more common, and in older children large bowel involvement was commoner, while 50pc of adult intussusceptions were paradoxically small bowel. Overall, small bowel intussusception was most common with the ileocolic variety predominating.
Conclusions: The most common type of intussusception in our environment is the ileocolic variety.