An intestinal carcinoid causing transient jejunal intussusception in an adult—A case report

INTRODUCTION: Transient jejunal intussusception in an adult is a rare clinical finding as reported in the English literature. The diagnosis is usually a matter of exclusion given the extremely rare nature of this medical condition. PRESENTATION OF THE CASE: A young female presented to our hospital with abdominal pain and distention of six months duration. The episodes were intermittent in nature and resolved with conservative management. The aetiology remained obscure until a computerized tomography(CT) scan diagnosed a small bowel intussusceptionIntraoperatively a small bowel tumour was identified and resected. Pathology confirmed an intestinal carcinoid of the small bowel with no evidence of metastatic disease. DISCUSSION: Transient jejunal intussusception is a rare finding with only eight reported cases in the English literature. All previously reported cases have been ascribed to benign aetiologies and to our knowledge this is the first case of a malignancy causing transient jejunal intussusception. The management is usually conservative unless an actual cause for the intussusception can be ascertained. The diagnosis is usually one of exclusion and CT scan remains the gold standard in eliciting a diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Transient jejunal intussuception in adults is an extremely rare pathological condition and the diagnosis is usually entertained as a matter of exclusion.