A Case of Intussusception in a Patient with Marijuana Use: Coincidence or Possible Correlation?

'Intussusception' means invaginating or telescoping and is caused by any condition that disrupts the normal physiological mechanism of intestinal peristalsis. Intussusception is rare in adults with an incidence of two to three cases per population of 1,000,000 annually. The most common cause of intussusception in adults is a neoplasm. In this case report, we are describing the case of a 22-year-old female with a past medical history of chronic constipation and a 60-pound unintentional weight loss who presented with the sudden onset of progressively worsening, severe abdominal pain associated with nausea, episodes of non-bloody, non-bilious emesis, and dark-colored loose stools. The patient’s social history was significant for extensive marijuana use for more than one year. Upon presentation, vitals were significant for mild bradycardia and examination was remarkable for diffuse abdominal pain. Initial laboratory testing was positive only for lactic acidosis. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis revealed small bowel intussusception in the left hemiabdomen, along with periportal edema, and a small amount of pericholecystic fluid. The patient underwent both upper endoscopy and colonoscopy but no lead points for the intussusception could be identified. The patient responded to conservative management, including bowel rest, which resulted in the resolution of the intussusception on a follow-up small bowel series. Intraluminal irritants as the possible etiology of intussusception should be considered in the absence of a pathological lead point. Marijuana has been shown to act on various bowel segments and disrupts gastrointestinal motility through inhibition of cholinergic mechanisms. We believe the chronic use of marijuana could be the possible etiology of intussusception observed in our patient. Therefore, this case brings attention to the adverse effects of marijuana in light of increasing legalization and the increasing therapeutic use of marijuana and its derivatives.