PREDICTIVE VALUE OF COLOR DOPPLER SONOGRAPHY IN ASSESSMENT OF SUCCESSFULNESS OF NONSURGICAL REDUCTION OF INTESTINAL INTUSSUSCEPTIONS.

Intussusception is one of the most common causes of bowel obstruction in young children ultrasonography (US) is considered a reliable method for diagnosis. The primary treatment is hydrostatic radiologic reduction, but this should never be used in children with necrotic or perforated bowel. Clinical and radiologic prediction of intestinal necrosis is difficult. Color Doppler (CD) US appears to be a useful method to predict the viability of the bowel and the reducibility of the intussusception. The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic usefulness of ultrasonography in intussusception in children and determine whether color doppler sonography can predict bowel viability and reducibility.

Materials & Methods : US was used to examine 75 children in whom the presence of intussusception was clinically suspected. CDS was performed in 75 patients with proved intussusception with US.

Results : CDS indicated blood flow in 70 of 75 cases of intussusception nonsurgical reduction was achieved in 46 (61.4%) of 75 cases and 29 patients (38.6%) underwent surgical operation. Four of five patients who had no color doppler signal underwent segmental resection. Three of 24 patients who had color doppler signal underwent segmental resection. The difference in resection rates based on blood flow was statistically significant (p=0.007).

Conclusion : US is sensitive and specific in the diagnosis of intussusception, and CDS is a promising predictor of bowel viability.