Published online Sep 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i36.13191
Revised: March 16, 2014
Accepted: April 15, 2014
Published online: September 28, 2014
Ileal intussusception is the invagination of the small intestine within itself and accounts for 1% of cases of acute obstruction. However, physicians do not initially consider intussusception as a possible diagnosis of obstruction due to its rarity in adults. Herein, we report the case of a 22-year-old male who was admitted to the Emergency Department with continuous abdominal pain. Ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed an ileal intussusception. The patient underwent surgical removal of the segment of the small bowel. Unexpectedly, pathology revealed that the invagination occurred due to a parasite egg, with features suggestive of Schistosoma species. Schistosomiasis, although considered a parasitic disease in tropical countries, is not absent from Europe and though it is highly improbable, it may be responsible for cases of intussusception in adults.
Core tip: This manuscript reports a rare case of intestinal invagination in an adult, which was later found to be caused by a very rare event in non-tropical countries - an egg of a tropical parasite belonging to the Schistosoma species. This diagnosis was highly improbable in a non tropical country and this is the first report of such an event.